ANOTHER tragedy struck Sokoto State late on Thursday as a passenger boat capsized in Shagari Local Government Area, leaving several people feared missing in what has become another grim reminder of the recurring disasters on local waterways.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Emergency Management, Aminu Bodinga, confirmed the latest mishap to News Point Nigeria on Friday, noting that officials of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had been dispatched to the scene.
“The ill-fated boat was carrying several passengers when it capsized, throwing everyone on board into the river,” Bodinga said.
He added that while casualty figures remain unclear, local residents fear that many of those on board may not survive.
The incident comes barely days after another boat mishap in the state. Earlier in the week, NEMA disclosed that a wooden canoe carrying over 50 passengers mostly farmers, traders, and women capsized on Sunday, leaving dozens dead or missing.
According to Aliyu Kafindangi, Head of NEMA’s Sokoto Operations Office, 25 passengers were rescued alive, while three bodies were retrieved during a three-day search operation.
Despite local reports of more corpses being recovered, NEMA formally called off search and rescue on Tuesday, citing slim chances of survival after 24 hours.
“The boat was overloaded with more than 50 passengers, including about seven motorcycles. It was a wooden canoe, which made it even more dangerous,” Kafindangi explained during an interview.
Confirming the scale of the disaster, Hon. Bashir Gorau, member representing Goronyo-Gada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stated that 26 passengers were rescued in the earlier mishap. However, fears remain that many others perished in the river.
Local divers, youth leaders, and community vigilantes have since joined emergency officials in recovering bodies, as grieving families prepare for burials along riverbanks.
The Sokoto incidents highlight a persistent national crisis. Boat mishaps, often linked to overcrowding, poor maintenance, and lack of enforcement of safety rules, have become tragically frequent across Nigeria.
In August 2024, at least 16 farmers died when a canoe ferrying them to rice fields capsized in Sokoto.
In May 2025, another accident in Gbajibo community, Kwara State, claimed at least 27 lives, just months after a similar tragedy in the same area killed over 100 people.
In July 2025, six schoolgirls drowned in Jigawa State after a canoe ferrying them home from farms overturned.
For families across Sokoto and beyond, the recurring accidents mean renewed grief. Survivors say the fear of crossing rivers is growing, but with no alternative transport in many rural areas, communities remain dependent on fragile wooden boats for daily survival.
As one bereaved relative, Inuwa Shagari, who spoke to News Point Nigeria stated: “Every time our people enter these boats, we pray they come back. But too often, they don’t.”