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No fewer than 46 people have lost their lives after a passenger boat carrying 77 farmers, women and children capsized in Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The tragedy occurred on Thursday morning shortly after the boat departed the community for nearby farmlands, sparking a massive rescue operation involving emergency agencies and local volunteers.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed that 46 bodies had been recovered, while 15 passengers were rescued alive. Sixteen others were still missing as rescue efforts continued.
Police spokesperson, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said local divers, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the police were working together to locate the remaining victims.
"Forty-six corpses have so far been recovered, while 15 persons were rescued alive. The rescue team, comprising local divers, NEMA, SEMA and the Police, is still searching for the remaining 16 persons," Rufai said.
He added that 77 passengers were on board the ill-fated boat when the accident occurred.
The incident has thrown Gorau community into mourning, with families anxiously awaiting news of loved ones still unaccounted for.
A resident, who spoke anonymously, said the passengers were travelling to their farms when the boat overturned. He noted that local divers immediately joined the rescue mission, recovering several bodies from the water.
He appealed to authorities to intensify rescue operations, stressing that many families were still hoping their missing relatives would be found alive.
A senior NEMA official, identified as Alhaji Ibrahim, confirmed that the agency had mobilised personnel to the affected community to support the ongoing rescue efforts.
The cause of the accident had yet to be determined as emergency responders continued search operations.
The latest tragedy comes exactly one year after a similar boat accident in Kijio community, also in Goronyo Local Government Area, raising renewed concerns over the safety of water transportation in Sokoto's riverine farming communities.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in the state, Manir Dan'iya, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and called for urgent measures to prevent future occurrences.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan'iya described the accident as a devastating tragedy, noting reports that some of the victims were children aged between 10 and 15 years.
He urged the Sokoto State Government and emergency agencies to deploy more rescue personnel, medical teams and equipment, while advocating stricter safety regulations, compulsory use of life jackets and improved transport infrastructure in rural communities.
Dan'iya also called for proper identification of victims and support for affected families, saying no farmer should have to risk death simply to access farmlands.
