Police in Sokoto deny media report that 150 bandits drown in river

Police in Sokoto deny media report that 150 bandits drown in river

From Bashir Rabe Mani in Sokoto

Police in Sokoto State have dismissed a report trending in social media alleging that a boat carrying about 150 armed bandits capsized in Sabon Gida community in Sokoto eastern axis

Denying the report, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufa’i, said the report was completely false, adding, “no iota of truth, it only existed in the imagination of fabricators.”

He explained that rivers across Sokoto State, particularly in the eastern part of the state, were largely not navigable during the dry season.

“The report about bandits capsizing in a boat in Sokoto East is false. Rivers in that axis are not navigable at this period; they only become so during the rainy season,” he said.

Ahmed cautioned against the spread of unverified security information, warning that misinformation could cause unnecessary panic and undermine ongoing security efforts.

The Police command advised the residents to rely on verified information from official security agencies and credible media platforms for updates on security developments in Sokoto State
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Also commenting over the issue, a security analyst and a resident from the area, Bashir Altine Guyawa, said the report was implausible, noting that there is no river in the eastern axis of Sokoto State capable of supporting boat or canoe transportation, especially during the dry season.

According to him, armed groups operating in the area typically rely on motorcycles and footpaths rather than waterways.

“There is no navigable river in Sokoto East that bandits could use with boats or canoes at this time.

“Their usual mode of movement is motorcycles and trekking through forest footpaths, often in convoys,” he said.

Guyawa added that the narrative was not new, describing it as an old misinformation campaign that had resurfaced on the social media platforms.

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