By At least 26 passengers have been rescued following the recent boat accident in Sokoto State, according to Bashir Gorau, the member representing Goronyo-Gada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Gorau gave the update on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, days after the tragedy in which a boat carrying over 50 people to a local market capsized on Sunday morning.
“So far, 25 men and one woman have been rescued. Efforts are ongoing, and local water chiefs, such as the Sarkin Ruwas, are doing their best to continue rescue operations,” the lawmaker said.
He added that the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA) had agreed to temporarily halt the release of water from the Goronyo Dam for two days, to reduce water levels and assist divers in recovering more victims.
Earlier reports from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) suggested that about 40 people were feared dead in the accident. However, Gorau cautioned that the figures were only estimates.
“There is no confirmed number of missing persons. The claims of 40 or 50 missing passengers are assumptions without clear verification,” he explained.
Describing the incident as a “tragedy,” Gorau lamented the recurring nature of such accidents, attributing the latest mishap to poor compliance with safety standards in local water transportation.
The Sokoto accident is the latest in a series of similar tragedies across Nigeria. In August 2024, at least 16 farmers drowned when a wooden canoe capsized on their way to rice fields in Sokoto. Earlier in May 2024, a boat accident in Gbajibo, Kwara State, killed 27 people, just months after a separate incident in the same area claimed over 100 lives.
