Aliyu Dantani, chairman of Shagari council area in Sokoto, says 26 persons have been confirmed dead after a boat capsized on Shagari river in Shagari LGA of the state.
Dantani, who spoke to NAN on Wednesday, said the incident occurred on Tuesday evening.
He said the actual number of passengers has not be ascertained, but that 21 of the 26 recovered corpses were women, while five were children.
He added that a search-and-rescue operation is ongoing, with local divers scouting the river for bodies or survivors.
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The development comes days after some residents of Niger state, said to be fleeing bandit attacks, drowned in a river in Guni village located in Munya LGA.
The incident, which occurred on March 30, led to the death of at least 20 persons.
Months before the Niger incident, at least 30 people were confirmed dead after a boat capsized in Kano state.
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The Kano incident occurred in Bagwai LGA in November 2021, with many of the victims identified as women and children, including students of a Qur’anic school who were on their way to Tofa for an event.
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