No fewer than 150 suspected bandits have reportedly drowned after a boat conveying them capsized in a river in Sokoto State.
According to reports by Zagazola Makama, a security-focused platform tracking insurgency and banditry in northern Nigeria, the incident occurred on Saturday at Sabon Gida when the armed group attempted to cross a river en route to an operation.
Local sources cited in the report said the boat, heavily loaded with armed men, became unstable mid-journey and overturned, throwing all occupants into the water.
“They were travelling in large numbers, and midway into the river, the vessel capsized due to the weight,” a source said.
Preliminary information indicates that many of the victims were unable to swim, resulting in what has been described as heavy casualties. Early accounts suggest that none of those on board survived the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force in Sokoto State had yet to issue an official statement confirming the development.
Sokoto State, located in Nigeria’s North-West region, remains one of the areas hardest hit by persistent banditry and armed violence, with frequent attacks on rural communities and security challenges across several local government areas.