The Garin Magana community in Shagari Local Government Area (LGA), of Sokoto State, where 29 teenagers recently lost their lives in a boat mishap, on Wednesday received a donation of life jackets.
The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), presented the life jackets to leaders of the Garin Magana community.
Read Also: Insecurity: Nine Abducted As Bandits Attack Sokoto
The victims, who were crossing Shagari River on a boat to a nearby village to fetch firewood, lost their lives on April 13.
HYPPADEC’s Northern Region Commissioner, Mr Aminu Ganda, who presented the jackets, said the assistance was to prevent the reoccurrence of the tragic incident in the future.
“Though Sokoto State was not part of our area of responsibility, we were touched by the recent calamity in the state.
“We, therefore, decided to assist the villagers in order to forestall future happening of such disaster,” Ganda said.
The commissioner, who condoled the families of the victims, assured the community that the commission would send its technical team to remove all trees causing boat accidents in the river.
“The experts will assess the water, identify those trees, and remove them to provide safe routes for boats.
“We cannot remove all the trees in the river, but at least we will create a safe route for you, and we will use some devices to mark out the safest routes for your boat operators,” he added.
