By 
Abiodun OBA
A fatal boat accident at Dandeji village in the Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State has reportedly claimed the lives of 15 girls.
The girls were said to have been on their way to a nearby bush to fetch firewood when the boat capsized on Tuesday morning.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that over 40 girls were on board when the incident happened.
A resident of the area, Muhammad Ibrahim, noted that 15 corpses had already been recovered and local divers were still searching for the other victims.
The chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, 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 the Tijjaniyya sect were said to have died in a similar circumstance during the last Eid Maulud festival.
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