The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has dismissed reports claiming that about 150 bandits drowned in a boat mishap in the Sabon Gida area of Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The authority described the report as false and misleading, urging the public to disregard it in its entirety.
In a statement on Monday, March 23, 2026, in Sokoto, the NIWA Area Manager in charge of the Sokoto Zonal Office, Bello Bala, said there was no record of any such accident within the area.
He stated clearly that the claim circulating in the public space was untrue.
“There was no such incident. The mentioned river is not navigable,” Bala said.
Bala cautioned media organisations and members of the public against spreading unverified reports, stressing the importance of fact-checking before publication.
He appealed for responsible reporting, noting that NIWA remains open to inquiries and verification at all times.
The NIWA official also reiterated that the agency has continued to engage riverine communities on water safety practices, including the use of life jackets and adherence to safety guidelines on waterways.
Bala further argued that any major incident on the waterways would have been reported through local structures.
He said water users’ associations and community leaders in the area would have alerted relevant authorities if such a tragedy had occurred.
Meanwhile, a source from the 8th Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto also dismissed the report, describing it as fake.
The source, who requested anonymity, said military personnel were actively present across the affected areas and had not recorded any such incident.
“There is no report on boat capsizing involving bandits from all parts,” the source said.
Authorities have urged journalists and social media users to ensure proper verification of security-related information before dissemination, warning that false reports could cause unnecessary panic.
Both NIWA and the military emphasised that no such boat mishap occurred in Sabon Birni or any part of Sokoto State as claimed in the viral report.
NaijaNews/ Samuel Olokoba
