No fewer than 150 suspected bandits have reportedly drowned following a boat accident in Sokoto State, sparking fresh concerns over criminal movements across waterways in the North-West.
The incident was said to have occurred on Saturday evening in the Sabon Gida area when a boat conveying a large number of armed men capsized while crossing a river.
A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
According to him, the victims, believed to be bandits, were travelling in large numbers when the vessel suddenly overturned, throwing all occupants into the water.
Makama noted that preliminary information indicated that many of those on board could not swim, resulting in heavy casualties.
He added that early reports suggested that none of the occupants survived the mishap.
“Preliminary information suggests that many of them could not swim, leading to heavy casualties,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from security agencies, including the police and the military, regarding the incident.
Efforts to reach authorities in the state for verification were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not responded to.
The development comes amid ongoing security challenges in parts of the North-West, where banditry and armed attacks have persisted despite intensified military operations.
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