Thirteen people, among them, women and children, have died in a boat mishap that occurred in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Thursday.
The victims were said to be traveling from Doruwa to Ginga around evening time when the boat capsized and killed all the passengers.
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Confirming the incident, the chairman of the local government, Aliyu Dantine Shagari, said eight of the victims were married women while the remaining five were children and elderly men.
He said the boat mishap might have occurred due to overloading.
“But there are other causes of boat mishap, including strong wind. We are still investigating the matter to know what actually led to the accident,” he added.
He noted that all the bodies of the victims had been recovered and buried in line with Islamic rites.
He recalled that six people lost their lives in a similar circumstance last year.
Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, while condoling the people of Shagari, promised to provide them with motorised boats and life jackets.
He prayed Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and their families the fortitude to bear their losses.
Similarly, the chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, while expressing his condolence, described the incident as very shocking and saddening.
