The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported that three bodies have been recovered following a boat accident in Sokoto State. The agency said that out of over 50 passengers on board, 25 individuals had been rescued alive.
NEMA’s Head of Sokoto Operations, Aliyu Kafindangi, disclosed on Wednesday that the search and rescue operation had been concluded.
“For the past three days, we have been conducting a rescue mission after a boat carrying farmers, market men, and women capsized. The incident occurred on Sunday with over 50 passengers aboard. Thankfully, 25 people were rescued alive on the same day. Search and rescue continued the following day, but no additional survivors were retrieved,” Kafindangi said in an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
He added, “On Tuesday, three bodies were recovered. There are reports that more bodies may have been retrieved, but as of now, search and rescue has been called off. After 24 hours, there is no chance of finding any more survivors.”
Kafindangi explained that the wooden boat was overloaded with passengers and goods, including seven motorcycles. He emphasized that NEMA continuously engages with local communities, canoe operators, divers, community leaders, youth leaders, market officials, and state authorities on waterway safety. “We always sensitise and educate them on proper canoe operation. In this case, the canoe was clearly overloaded,” he noted.
Earlier, Bashir Gorau, the member representing Goronyo-Gada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stated that 26 persons had been rescued following the accident.
Boat accidents remain frequent on Nigeria’s waterways, often caused by overcrowding and poor maintenance. Recent incidents include:
August 2024: 16 farmers died in Sokoto State when a wooden canoe capsized while crossing a river to their rice fields.
May 2025: At least 27 people died in a boat accident in Gbajibo, Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State, just seven months after a similar incident claimed 100 lives in the same area.
July 2025: Six girls reportedly drowned after a boat carrying them home from farm work capsized midstream in Jigawa State.
