A man, Malam Abdullah Usman, is yet to find three members of his family following the boat mishap which occurred at Kojiyo village in Goronyo Local Government State of Sokoto State on Sunday. Daily Trust gathered that the boat which was overloaded may have capsized due to strong winds and turbulent currents.  It was gathered that there were 51 people on the boat when the incident occurred.

The boat had set off from one of the communities and was en route Goronyo town where the people on board, who were mostly traders and women, were expected to attend a local weekly market when the disaster struck.

Speaking to our correspondent yesterday, Malam Usman said, “Only one of my family members in the boat was rescued. We are still waiting for the other three. We are, however, worried that they may not be found alive”.

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Similarly, another relative, Muhammad Sani, said he is already mourning the loss of his younger brother and business partner. He said he is not sure the man will be found alive since it is over 48 hours since the incident occurred.

“He left behind 16 children and two wives. The pain is unbearable. We are calling on the government to prevent this kind of tragedy. We need modern boats, proper safety gears and stronger enforcement,” he said.

Daily Trust gathered that rescue operations have intensified following the Sunday accident, with 25 passengers confirmed rescued and 26 others still missing.

Zubairu Yari, the Chairman of Goronyo Local Government Area, while receiving the deputy governor of the state said that over 40 people are unaccounted for.  He alleged that the people on board the boat were more that 51 as stated by the authorities.

According to the custodian of the river, Sarkin Ruwa, Malam Yusuf, the accident was caused by a sudden shift in weather conditions.

“God brought a strong wind, and the waves capsized the boat,” he said.

“Six motorcycles were also recovered. As of now, we estimate that around 25 people are still missing,” he added.

The Sarkin Ruwa, whose figure of rescued people is one person higher than that of the authorities, added that steps will be taken to regulate the number of passengers allowed on boats to prevent future tragedies.

When our correspondent visited the area on Monday, distressed families were seen gathered by the riverside, awaiting news about their missing relatives.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the rescue of 25 passengers.

“We received a distress call about the incident yesterday (Sunday),” said Aliyu Shehu, Head of NEMA Operations Office, Sokoto.

“The boat was carrying over 50 people when it capsized. Twenty-five passengers and seven motorcycles have so far been recovered. We have not yet found any body, but we have alerted surrounding communities to report any floating remains they might find,” he said.

Shehu noted that the incident was likely worsened by the failure of passengers to wear life jackets despite sensitisation campaigns and donations of safety equipment to riverine communities.

“There is clear laxity in the enforcement of safety protocols. We are urging communities not to sail during high currents and to always wear life jackets,” he said.

Engr. Muhammad Bala, Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), emphasised the need for stricter enforcement of maritime safety laws.

“We are now focusing on enforcement. There is a transportation court gazetted by the federal government to penalise offenders. Overloading, sailing in dangerous weather and operating boats under the influence will attract penalties or prison sentences of up to six months.” he said.

Bala added that the rescue operation would continue for at least another 45 hours, with search teams deployed as far as Silame and other neighbouring riverine communities.

“We’ve recovered the boat and taken the sailor’s statement. We urge passengers to wear life jackets, which can keep them afloat for at least 24 hours, increasing their chances of survival during such emergencies,” he further stated.

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State government has donated ₦20 million and relief materials, including grains to support affected families.

Authorities have pledged to continue the search efforts and are working closely with local communities and emergency services to prevent further loss of life.

Timeline

Water accidents arising from boat accidents have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years, especially in northern Nigeria where canoes are still being used as a means of transportations in some parts of the region.

In Sokoto, the incident has become a recurring decimal, with eight reported boat accidents recorded in the last five years.

 August 2020

Nine people were feared dead after a boat in which they were travelling capsized at Birjingo in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State in August 2020.

Majority of the victims were women and children, including a bride-to-be and her mother. The boat had over 30 passengers on board when the accident occurred.

The passengers were said to be on their way to a rice farm across the river where they worked as labourers.

While confirming the incident, the councillor representing Birjingo ward, Isa Muhammad, said the accident occurred around 8 am on Wednesday, 5th August, 2020.

The village head of Birjingo, Alhaji Shehu Dangaladima, said the boat capsized because it was overloaded.

The Sole Administrator of Goronyo Local Government Area, Zakari Muhammad Shinaka, said, “Immediately we heard about the accident, we engaged over 50 local divers who succeeded in rescuing some of the victims alive.”

June 2021

In 2021, 13 people, including women and children, were reported dead following a boat accident in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Thursday, June 3, 2021.

The victims were said to be travelling from Doruwa to Ginga around evening time when the boat capsized and killed all the passengers.

The chairman of the local government, Aliyu Dantine Shagari, who confirmed the incident, said eight of the victims were married women while the remaining five were children and elderly men.

He attributed the accident to overloading, noting that all the bodies of the victims had been recovered and buried in line with Islamic rites.

April 2022

Twenty-nine persons, including a bride-to-be, reportedly died after a boat capsized on April 13, 2022, in Shagari River at Gidan Magana in Shagari LGA of Sokoto State.

The victims, mostly children between 9 and 17 years old, were crossing the river to a nearby bush to fetch firewood which they sold in their community, when the incident occurred.

Findings revealed that there were 35 of them in the boat when it capsized.

The village head of Gidan Magana, Malam Muhammadu Auwal, who lost five of his children in the mishap, said the deceased were 23 females and six males.

He, however, said six of the passengers were rescued alive.

“I lost five of my children and two younger sisters of my wives. I also lost my niece whose wedding was fixed for one week after Sallah.

The District Head of the community, Alhaji Abubakar, said, “According to the information I gathered, all the passengers on board including the driver were 31, while the driver ran away after the accident. We were able to rescue only one girl alive while the corpses of the remaining 29 people had been buried in accordance with the Islamic rites.”

May 2023

At least 15 girls reportedly died in a boat accident at Dandeji village in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State in May 2023.

The girls were said to be on their way to a nearby bush to fetch firewood when their boat capsized on a Tuesday morning.

According to eyewitness accounts, over 40 girls were on board when the incident happened.

A resident of the area, Muhammad Ibrahim, said 15 corpses were recovered and local divers were still searching for the other victims.

August 2024

In August 2024, four persons were reported dead in a boat accident at Dundaye community in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The canoe was reportedly ferrying farmers, including three women and four children, to their farms in Gangar Fadama when it capsized.

Confirming the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto, the Head, Sokoto Field Operation Office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Aliyu Kafindangi, explained that a combined rescue team from NEMA, Nigerian Red Cross, Fire Services and the State Emergency Management Agency and local divers recovered the dead bodies.

“Based on investigation, 24 persons were involved in the incident but 19 of them have been rescued.

“One dead body was recovered on Sunday and yesterday we recovered additional three, bringing the number of deaths to four. One person is still missing but search and rescue is still ongoing,” he had said.

December 2024

A 60-year-old man reportedly died in a boat accident in Tangwale community, Dundaye District, Sokoto State, on Saturday, December 21, 2024.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Nasiru Garba Kalambaina, said that 35 passengers were onboard when the boat capsized.

“But 34 were successfully rescued alive by the local divers. One of the passengers, a 60- year-old man from Tangwale village, lost his life and his body was later recovered and buried in accordance with the Islamic rites,” he said.

June 2025

Seven persons were killed in a canoe accident that occurred while the victims were travelling from Gidan Husaini to Gwargawu village in Kambama Ward in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Monday, June 2, 2025, marking yet another fatal incident in the state’s ongoing struggle with waterway safety.

The Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reported that the accident occurred near Rinaye village in Shagari Local Government Area, when a canoe carrying nine passengers overturned while crossing a river.

An assessment carried out on Tuesday, June 3, by officials from SEMA and NEMA, confirmed the fatalities.

The victims included two children aged three and seven, three married women, and two adults aged between 35 and 40 years.

Leading a delegation on a condolence visit on behalf of the Sokoto State Government, the Commissioner for Finance, Muhammadu Jabbi Shagari, described the incident as not only heartbreaking for the people of Shagari but also a monumental loss for the entire state.

He warned canoe and boat operators against overloading their vessels. “Safety must always come first. No journey is worth a life lost due to negligence or preventable risks,” he stressed.

National data

According to the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), 350 persons died through water navigation in the country in 2020 alone in several incidents in Sokoto, Anambra, Cross River, Bauchi, Lagos, Benue, Niger, among others.

Chairman, HYPPADEC Governing Council, Joseph Terfa Ityav, blamed most of the incidents on poor condition of boats, overloading, lack of life jackets and tree logs.

An investigation by Daily Trust revealed that no fewer than 281 people were killed in 2021 as a result of boat mishaps recorded in Sokoto, Bayelsa, Lagos, Kano, Niger, Taraba, Ondo, and Kebbi, among others.

The Kebbi incident which occurred in Warrah Village, Tsihuwan Labata, Ngaski LGA was the deadliest with 156 people dead.

The year 2022 was also the deadliest, with no fewer than 313 people killed, while 216 people lost their lives in the first nine months of the year 2023, according a report compiled by Daily Trust.

An investigation by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, found that over 300 lives were lost on the Nigerian waterways in 2023.

In 2024, about 326 persons died from boat mishaps, with Niger and Kwara states having the highest number of casualties of 92 and 90, respectively, according to a count by TheCable.

In July 2025, nine people died from boat accident in Taura Local Government Area (LGA) of Jigawa State and 25 others, including a family of 10, lost their lives in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.