At least 15 girls have reportedly died in a fresh boat accident at Dandeji village in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The girls were said to be be on their way to a nearby bush to fetch firewoods when their boat capsized on Tuesday morning.
According to eyewitness accounts, over 40 girls were on board when the incident happened.
A resident of the area, Muhammad Ibrahim, said 15 corpses had already been recovered and local divers were still searching for the other victims.
The chairman of Shagari local government, Aliyu Abubakar, who confirmed the incident said the bodies were being prepared for burial.
Recall that in 2021 and 2022, boat accidents claimed 13 and 30 people who were mostly women and children at Ginga and Gidan Magana villages in the area respectively.
Similarly, some members of Tijjaniyya sect were said to have died in a similar circumstance during the last Eid Maulud festival.