5 farmers drown as canoe capsizes in Niger

Five farmers, comprising four males and one female, are feared dead after a canoe conveying them to their farmland capsized while crossing River Kuji in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger.

Abdullahi Baba-Arah, Director-General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, disclosed this in Minna on Monday.

Mr Baba-Arah said that the incident occurred in the morning of Saturday, Aug. 15, when the victims left Shaba Woshi village for their farmland across the river.

He identified the victims as Yahaya Abubakar, Usman Abubakar, Lamin Hussaini, Baba Ahmadu and Salihu Aliyu, all residents of Shaba Woshi village.

According to him, the victims travelled from the village to Katcha, where they boarded a canoe to cross River Kuji to access their farmland when the canoe capsized.

He said the incident had thrown the community into mourning, adding that efforts were ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and the fate of the victims.

NAN