8 Persons On Condolence Visit Die In Canoe Mishap

At least, two persons have been confirmed dead while six others are yet to be recovered after a boat mishap occurred in the Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State

The Jigawa Police Command's spokesperson, DSP Lawan Shiisu, confirmed the tragedy in a statement in Dutse on Sunday

According to Shiisu, the canoe which was conveying 13 passengers on their way to a condolence visit, capsized after hitting an object.

“Today, at about 12:40 p.m., information at our disposal revealed that a particular canoe with 13 occupants who were on transit from Dabi village toward Siyangu village, all in Ringim LGA reportedly capsized.

“The occupants were on their way to pay a condolence visit,” Shiisu said.

He explained that following the report received by the command, a team of policemen launched a search and rescue mission at the scene with the assistance of local divers in the area.

The spokesperson added that the mission led to the recovery of seven persons on the spot who were all rushed to General Hospital, Ringim for medical attention.

According to him, two out of the seven recovered occupants, Bara’atu Garba, 30, and Mahmud Surajo, 3, were certified dead by a medical doctor on duty.

Shiisu said the remains of the deceased were later released to their families for burial.

He further disclosed that the remaining five persons were receiving treatment at the hospital, while the other six victims were still missing,

He noted efforts to recover the six drowned passengers were being intensified.