SOKOTO, Sept 20 (AGCNewsNet) – Several villagers have drowned in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State after a boat carrying residents fleeing a bandit attack capsized, local officials confirmed.

Chairman of Sabon Birni LGA, Alhaji Ayuba Hashimu, said the accident happened on Thursday evening when a wooden boat transporting residents of Zalla Bango struck the edge of a collapsed culvert along the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road.

“The boat hit the culvert, broke apart, and eventually sank. Rescue efforts are ongoing to recover survivors and retrieve the bodies of the deceased,” Hashimu told reporters.

The tragedy came just a day after the Sokoto State Government distributed motorised boats and life jackets to flood-prone councils, including Sabon Birni, in a bid to improve safety.

Separately, the member representing Sabon Birni constituency in the state assembly, Sa’idu Ibrahim, said six residents were killed in the bandit raid before the attackers fled.

Efforts to reach the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for comment were unsuccessful.

Stay connected with AGC NewsNet for the latest news from Africa.