30 peope including women, children, fleeing from bandits drown in Zamfara river

At least 30 people, including women and children, have reportedly drowned while fleeing from bandits who attacked their community in Zamfara State when two canoes they were travelling in capsized on Thursday evening.

According to the Director-General to Governor Bello Matawalle on New Media, Ibrahim Zauma, who confirmed the incident on social media, the victims who were residents of the Birnin Wajje, a riverine community in Bukkuyum local government area of the state, were fleeing the area to safety after the terrorists invaded the village around 6 pm, when the canoes capsized.

Read also: Zamfara bandit leader threatens to kill 300 people over death of wife, 2 others, demands N30m compensation

Zauma who is from the area, said the terrorists had invaded the community while residents were preparing for prayers and started shooting sporadically.

“They entered the community from the western end but before they got deep into the community, other residents started fleeing to Zauma (a community across the river) but they had to cross the river.

“Following an onboard stampede of displaced persons running from pursuing terrorists at Zauma ferry station, an unknown number of mostly women and children got drowned after two canoes capsized,” Zauma said.

Efforts to get confirmation from the Zamfara State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mohammed Shehu before going to press were however abortive as calls made to him were not successful.

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