14 Die In Latest Sokoto Boat Mishap

Residents of Shagari Local Government Area of ​​Sokoto State have been thrown into mourning after fourteen people reportedly died in a boat mishap.

Naija News learnt from reports that the victims include eleven men and three women.

The locals were said to be travelling for an event allegedly to mark the birth of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad on Tuesday when the tragic incident happened.

The locals were said to have drowned when their overloaded boat capsized in a river.

The administrator of Shagari district, Aliyu Abubakar Dantani who confirmed the incident said: “We recovered the bodies of the 14 victims and buried them yesterday (Wednesday).”

According to him, local divers were also able to rescue 10 other passengers in the river. Just like other incidents lately across the country, reports said the accident happened due to the overloading of the boat.

This, including overspeeding, poor maintenance and disregarding navigation rules has resulted in several boat accidents across states this year, Naija News understands.

Speaking further on the latest event in the state, Dantani told journalists that in April, at least 26 people including 21 women and five children, drowned when their canoe capsized on the same river.

80 Bandit Informants, Kidnappers Including Women Arrested In Zamfara 

Zamfara State government led by Governor Bello Matawalle reported on Tuesday that it arrested no fewer than eighty persons over their alleged involvement in banditry activity.

The suspects, including women, were nabbed by security agencies who were combing the state for criminal elements, Naija News reports.

Giving details about the arrest, Chairman of the Committee on Prosecution of Banditry and Related Offences, Abdullahi Shinkafi, while addressing the media on Tuesday, said the suspects were arrested in connection with terror groups.

Some of them, according to Shinkafi, were found to be informants, and suppliers of food, drug, military camouflage and police uniforms to the terrorists while some were directly involved in banditry, kidnapping for ransom and illegal possession of firearms.

Shinkafi disclosed further that security agencies were already investigating their level of participation in criminal activities in the state and its neighbourhood.

”Others have already been charged to court to face charges of their involvement”, Shinkafi said.

He explained further that the resurgence of banditry and kidnapping was due to the bombardment of camps by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).