According to the command’s spokesperson, Ahmad Rufa’i, the victims drowned after an overloaded wooden canoe capsized. “All the corpses were recovered the following day, 10 in total and most of them were children,” Rufa’i affirmed

The exact cause of the mishap remains unclear. While police could not confirm if the passengers were fleeing violence, multiple media reports suggest the victims were escaping fresh bandit attacks in the area.

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Reporters also added that the victims were villagers fleeing renewed violence by armed groups, while sources noted that the boat struck the edge of a collapsed culvert along the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road as women and children attempted to escape a looming attack.

Source: Premium Times