In Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State, tragedy struck as a boat carrying approximately 40 boys and girls capsized in the Dandeji river, resulting in the death of at least 17 of them. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday morning, was confirmed by Alhaji Aliyu Dantani, the Council Chairman, to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto. The corpses were later retrieved by local divers and buried according to Islamic rites around 2:30 p.m. on the same day.According to the Council Chairman, the children were on their way to gather firewood in a nearby bush when the boat capsized. While some passengers were able to swim to safety, search efforts for the remaining victims are still ongoing. Mamman Ibrahim, a resident, reported that the canoe owner informed the authorities about the incident, and while 17 bodies have been found, local divers continue to search for any additional victims.It is worth noting that this tragedy is not the first of its kind in the area. On April 13, 2022, a similar incident occurred in Gidan Magana village, resulting in the deaths of 29 individuals, mostly teenagers, who were also gathering firewood. It is a common practice among the area’s children, who are primarily out of school.