SOKOTO, Nigeria – Tragedy has struck again in Sokoto State as a boat carrying several passengers capsized in Shagari Local Government Area, leaving many feared missing.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu at the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Aminu Bodinga, confirmed the incident to journalists on Friday.
He said the boat mishap occurred on Thursday, prompting emergency officials to launch a large-scale rescue operation.
According to Bodinga, SEMA is working in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to rescue survivors and recover victims.
“Our teams have been dispatched to the scene and are working round the clock with NEMA and NIWA to ensure that survivors are rescued and victims recovered,” Bodinga said.
The ill-fated boat reportedly overturned while carrying multiple passengers across the river. Although the exact number of casualties remains unclear, locals fear that most passengers may not have survived.
This latest disaster comes less than two weeks after a separate boat accident in Sokoto claimed at least three lives and left over 20 people missing.
In June 2025, seven people also lost their lives in a canoe mishap in the same Shagari LGA, while traveling from Gidan Husaini to Gwargawu village.
The recurring accidents have raised fresh concerns over safety compliance and enforcement of inland waterway regulations in Sokoto State, where river transport remains a lifeline for rural communities.
