Deadly boat accident in Sokoto State
A boat carrying people to work on farms capsized on a river in northwestern Nigeria's Sokoto State on Thursday, leaving dozens dead, according to officials and residents. The incident occurred near Gorau town in the Goronyo local government area, where rescue efforts were ongoing.
Authorities have not yet provided a unified death toll, with figures varying among officials and witnesses. A police spokesperson, Ahmad Rufai, told the BBC that 46 bodies had been found near Gorau, while 16 people had been recovered safely and 15 were still missing. Abdulkadir Yusuf, Sokoto state manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority, told the Associated Press that the death toll was 47 people "so far." In a separate statement to Reuters, Yusuf confirmed that around 40 corpses of children had been recovered.
A Reuters witness saw 50 bodies, many wrapped in mats and traditional cloth, lying in the forecourt of a mosque in Gorau ahead of their burial. Ibrahim Musa, a former councillor in Gorau, told AFP, "The situation is bad. We already buried 46 bodies and five others have just been brought out of the river."
Community in mourning
Residents described the profound impact on the community. Samaila Garba, 55, said his 13-year-old granddaughter, Jamila Usman, was among the dead. He told the Associated Press that he had counted at least 42 bodies, most of them women and children. "You know, during the rainy season, most women and children go to the farm to work," he said.
Another resident, Aminu Dan Hajiya, who uses the same waterway to reach his farm, said he considers himself lucky not to have been on the boat. "In fact, almost every household in the community has been affected," he told the Associated Press.
A traditional leader in the area, Sarkin Daji, said the accident occurred on Thursday morning when passengers were heading either to plant or to harvest rice. Local resident Nasiru Gorau said local divers had recovered the bodies and the search was still ongoing.
Rescue and official response
Dahir Kure, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency in Sokoto state, told AFP that rescue operations were underway. "We are now at the scene of the boat accident and have begun rescue work," he said. Kure added that authorities were still "collecting necessary information on the incident" and could not immediately give a death toll.
Ezekiel Manzo, a spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, told the BBC that the area is remote and that the team had moved to the location.
Recurring tragedy on Nigeria's waterways
Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, with overcrowding, poorly maintained boats, and weak enforcement of safety rules often blamed for deaths. The country's rivers are an important means of transport for millions of people, particularly in rural communities, where poor roads and a lack of bridges make land travel difficult. Wooden boats are commonly used to carry people and goods.
Authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed. However, many of these measures have not been fully implemented or properly enforced.
Recent incidents highlight the scale of the problem. At least five people drowned when a boat overturned in Jigawa state last month. In January, at least 26 people drowned when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe state capsized, though some reports put the number at 25. In December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers capsized.