- Buhari mourns victims of ‘tragic incident’
At least 29 people died after a boat capsized in a river in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state, local authorities said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on the Shagari River near the Gidan Magana village of the Shagari local government area.
Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal also visited the site of the incident.
“It was a sad news of the tragic death of scores of our citizens who perished as a result of a boat mishap,” he said.
The governor extended condolences to the families of the victims and also commended citizens who volunteered to rescue about a dozen of people.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari said he is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic boat mishap and extended hiss heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones, particularly the village head of Gidan Magana, Malam Muhammadu Auwal, who lost five of his children in the mishap.
President Buhari directs Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to increase ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of riverine travel in the country.
