Dozens feared dead as another overloaded boat capsizes in Sokoto

Sokoto State has been hit by yet another devastating boat accident after a passenger vessel carrying several people overturned on Thursday in Shagari Local Government Area, leaving many feared dead and others unaccounted for.

The mishap, confirmed by Aminu Liman Bodinga, Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), is the third major boat disaster to strike the state in less than a month.

Bodinga said emergency teams from SEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) were swiftly deployed to conduct rescue and recovery operations.

He said, “survivors are still being pulled out, while the recovery of bodies is ongoing.”

Eyewitnesses described the vessel as dangerously overcrowded with men, women and children when it capsized midway through its journey, hurling passengers into the river.

“Some managed to swim to safety, but many remain unaccounted for, with fears that the casualty figure could rise significantly,” one witness said.

Community leaders and safety experts have repeatedly warned that such tragedies are fueled by risky practices including the use of non-motorised boats, overloading, lack of life jackets and weak enforcement of safety rules.

Despite recurring accidents, residents say little has changed in terms of government regulation or intervention, leaving riverine communities — which depend on waterways for their livelihood — in constant fear.

As families in Shagari LGA and surrounding towns await news of their missing relatives, the mood remains grim, marked by grief and unanswered questions.