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The accident happened in Zamfara state, as farmers were trying
to get to their land, Tinubu said in a statement. The president
promised support for the victims and directed emergency agencies
to assess the incident.
Yazid Abubakar, a police spokesperson in Zamfara, told The
Associated Press the accident happened on Saturday and that five
people were rescued, but 40 are still missing. It was not
immediately clear how many people were on the boat when it went
down.
The boat was carrying mostly farmers who use the crossing
regularly to sell produce at the markets and locals say they’re
often overloaded.
Zamfara state is rampant with armed groups who kidnap for
ransom, steel cattle and engage in illegal mining.
Boat accidents are common in remote communities across Nigeria
because of overloading and boats that are in poor condition.
In August, more than 20 people died in a boat accident on a
river in southern Nigeria after the engine exploded.
Most boats don’t carry life jackets or have proper safety
measures in place, say locals.
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