…as boat mishaps push fatalities to 74 since 2020
•Govt blamed for neglect of water transport safety
Sokoto State has once again been thrown into mourning as tragic boat mishaps continue to ravage riverine communities, exposing the glaring neglect of water transportation safety and the repeated failure of authorities to protect vulnerable citizens.
In the last one month alone, 36 lives have been lost in separate boat accidents across Goronyo, Sabon Birni, and Shagari Local Government Areas.
This staggering figure has now pushed the total number of recorded deaths from boat mishaps in Sokoto to 74 between the year 2020 and 2025.
The most recent disaster struck on Thursday, August 29, 2025, in Shagari Local Government Area.
A boat carrying villagers capsized, killing one passenger while an 80-year-old woman remains missing three days after the tragedy.
Survivors described the ordeal as terrifying, recounting how rescuers battled through the night without success in locating the missing victim.
25 missing
Just weeks earlier, the village of Kojiyo in Goronyo Local Government was plunged into grief when a boat accident left over 25 people missing.
According to the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), only four bodies were eventually recovered two weeks later, leaving families in anguish and communities in despair.
In another heart-wrenching episode, Garin-Faji in Sabon Birni Local Government witnessed a deadly boat mishap caused by insecurity.
Villagers, fleeing a night attack by bandits, crowded into an unstable vessel in desperation.
The boat capsized mid-river, killing six instantly while three others remain missing. Survivors said the desperate attempt to escape violence turned into an unforgettable nightmare.
