13 Dead, Over 20 Missing In Zamfara Boat Accident

At least 13 people have lost their lives, and more than 20 remain unaccounted for after a boat carrying fleeing villagers capsized in a river in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, officials and local residents reported on Saturday.

According to Reuters, the tragedy occurred after armed assailants attacked communities in the Birnin Magaji ward on Friday, prompting residents to flee across a nearby river. Eyewitnesses noted that the boat was heavily overcrowded at the time of the incident.

“My eldest son and two nieces were among the 13 people who died,” Shehu Mohammed, a health worker in Birnin Magaji, told Reuters.

“People were panicking and rushed onto the boat. It simply couldn’t hold everyone,” Mohammed added.

Maidamma Dankilo, the district head of Birnin Magaji, confirmed the casualties, stating, “13 people have been confirmed dead, 22 were rescued, and 22 others are still missing.”

Zamfara State has become a hotspot for violent attacks by armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, amid a surge in regional violence in recent months.

In a separate incident last weekend, gunmen killed at least two people and abducted over 100 others approximately 150 kilometers west of Birnin Magaji.

A recent report by Lagos-based research firm SBM Intelligence revealed that Zamfara recorded 50 mass abductions between July 2024 and June 2025, affecting over 1,000 individuals.

“The scale of these attacks is devastating for our communities,” said Dankilo. “People live in constant fear, and even trying to escape can be deadly.”

Authorities have yet to issue an official update regarding ongoing search and rescue operations for those still missing.