Over 30 persons mostly women and children drowned on Wednesday while fleeing terrorist attack in their community in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria.
Residents of Birnin Wajje, a riverine community in Bukkuyum area of Zamfara State, said the terrorists invaded the village around 6 p.m.
“The terrorists invaded the community while residents were preparing for the dawn prayers and started shooting sporadically,” a source explained.
While trying to escape in two canoes they were travelling in, capsized. The Director General to the State Governor Bello Matawalle, on new media, Ibrahim Zauma, who is also from the area, confirmed the incident on his Facebook page.
“Following an onboard stampede of displaced persons running from pursuing bandit terrorists at Zauma ferry station, an unknown number of mostly women and children got drowned after two canoes capsized.”
Tahir Auwal Kaura who trades in Bukkuyum said the boats capsized due to overload. He added that at least 30 bodies have been recovered as of 9:00a.m on Thursday.
Another source from Zugu, a neighbouring community, Lawali Sambo, said Birnin Wajje has been taken over by the terrorists.
He said a team of vigilante members tried to repel the attack but were overpowered by the terrorists.
“Since that time yesterday (6:15 p.m) the entire community has remained under the control of the bandits. Several people have been trapped inside their houses. The bandits slept in the community and we’ve heard that they are still in the village,” he said.
