At least 13 villagers were confirmed dead and more than 20 others declared missing on Friday, after a boat carrying residents fleeing a bandit attack capsized in Birnin Magaji ward, Zamfara State.

Naijaonpoint learnt that the victims were among dozens attempting to escape after armed men invaded several communities in the area.

According to an international news agency, Reuters, panic gripped residents who rushed to the riverbank and boarded an overloaded boat in a desperate bid to escape the violence.

Shehu Mohammed, a health worker in Birnin Magaji, told Reuters, “My eldest son and two nieces were among the 13 people who died. People were panicking and rushed onto the boat. It simply couldn’t hold everyone.”

The district head of Birnin Magaji, Maidamma Dankilo, confirmed that 13 bodies had been recovered while 22 others were rescued alive.

According to him, search efforts were still ongoing as 22 passengers remain missing.

Zamfara has been one of the hardest-hit states in the North-West by banditry and mass abductions.

Only last weekend, gunmen killed at least two people and kidnapped over 100 others in a separate attack about 150 kilometres west of Birnin Magaji.

Data from SBM Intelligence indicates that Zamfara alone recorded no fewer than 50 mass abductions between July 2024 and June 2025, with more than 1,000 people affected.

Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the latest tragedy, even as security operatives and local divers continue rescue operations to locate the missing passengers.