11 family members, 41 others buried after Sokoto boat accident

In a tragic boat accident near Gorau town in Sokoto State, at least 11 family members were among the 52 bodies buried following the disaster. The boat, carrying farmers and workers to their rice farms, capsized around 8:30 am on Wednesday while crossing a waterway. Over 70 people were reportedly on board, including several children, most of them girls.

The Head of Operations for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar, stated that the exact number of victims was yet to be ascertained. The Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) spokesperson, Abdullahi Ghani, noted that officials were assessing the situation and trying to determine the exact number of affected persons.

Rescue operations were ongoing as local divers and residents searched the water for those still missing. The village head of Gorau, Malam Aliyu Na-Batsami, recounted that the boat, carrying over 70 passengers, capsized after reaching the middle of the waterway. He emphasized that most of the passengers were farmers going to work and that there were also children on board, most of them girls.

Na-Batsami survived the accident by struggling to stay afloat and grabbing a floating sack. He expressed shock at the loss of life, noting that one household had lost 11 children. One of the residents involved in the rescue operation, Mallam Ya’u ECG, stated that the boat developed a fault shortly after leaving the shore, leading to its capsizing.

Another resident, Usman Yusuf Shanka, identified his younger brother’s wife, Jamila Aminu, and her two children, Yasir Aminu and Sani Aminu, among the victims. He also mentioned that his nephew and another child from the family were among those who died. The lawmaker representing Goronyo constituency, Nasiru Adamu, blamed the accident on overcrowding, stating that the operator had tried to prevent passengers from boarding the boat but they refused to listen.

He urged residents to exercise caution and avoid overcrowding when using waterways. Despite an earlier intervention by the Sokoto State Government, which provided boats and life jackets to communities reliant on waterways, the village head reported that Gorau had not received the assistance.