Thirteen people drowned and 22 remain missing in Zamfara after fleeing gunmen, as authorities also reunited 128 rescued kidnap victims with their families.
At least 13 people drowned and 22 remain missing in Zamfara State after an overloaded boat carrying residents fleeing gunmen capsized on Friday. Witnesses said armed men stormed two communities in Birnin Magaji ward, forcing residents to flee toward a riverbank where only one boat was available.
“My eldest son and two other nieces were among the 13 people who died when the boat was heavily overloaded with people,” Shehu Mohammed, a health worker, told Reuters. District head Maidamma Dankilo confirmed 13 deaths, 22 rescues, and 22 people still missing.
The tragedy follows recent violence in the region, where gunmen killed at least two people and abducted more than 100 last weekend.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu handed over 128 rescued kidnap victims from Zamfara to their families in Abuja on Tuesday. He commended security forces, saying, “Let us take politics out of security challenges.”