National Inland Waterways Authority has rejected as false and misleading claims that around 150 bandits drowned in a boat accident along the Sokoto River in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.
The agency’s Sokoto Area Manager, Bello Bala, clarified that no such incident occurred and that the river cited in the reports is not navigable, casting serious doubt on the story’s credibility.
Bala described the circulating account as fake during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He stressed that authorities had found no evidence of any boat mishap or mass drowning in the area.
The debunked report had spread rapidly on social media and some online platforms earlier this week, prompting public speculation about security operations in the northwest. NIWA urged the public to verify information through official channels to avoid misinformation.
