Dozens of people, many of them children, have died after a boat conveying farmers and farm labourers capsized in Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The passengers were reportedly travelling across a waterway to rice farms when the vessel overturned shortly after setting off on Thursday.
According to The Guardian, eyewitness Usman Yusuf Gorau said more than 80 people were believed to have boarded the boat and that 57 bodies had been recovered as search operations continued.
However, the Sokoto State Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Abdulkadir Yusuf, initially placed the confirmed death toll at 47.
Independent reports published later on Thursday also presented varying figures. Reuters reported at least 50 deaths, while a community eyewitness put the toll at 53, underscoring that the casualty figure remained fluid as more bodies were recovered.
Most of the passengers were reportedly farmers and labourers travelling to harvest rice. Many of the victims were said to be children between the ages of 10 and 15.
Yusuf said 41 victims were initially buried before additional bodies were recovered, raising the community’s reported figure to 57.
Local divers, residents and emergency responders continued searching the waterway for possible survivors and passengers still unaccounted for.
Reuters reported that about 16 people had been rescued and that roughly 40 of the bodies recovered were those of children.
The precise number of passengers aboard the boat also remained uncertain, with estimates ranging from more than 70 to over 80 people.
Reacting to the tragedy, the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, expressed grief over the deaths and extended condolences to the affected families, Gorau community and the people of Sokoto State.
Dan’iya called on the state government and emergency agencies to deploy additional rescue personnel, medical teams and equipment to support the ongoing operation.
He also urged authorities to ensure the proper identification and documentation of the victims and provide adequate support to their families.
The ADC candidate said the tragedy highlighted the urgent need for safer transportation in farming communities separated from their farmlands by rivers and other waterways.
He called for properly regulated boats, life jackets, trained operators, emergency-response equipment and the construction of bridges or alternative crossings where necessary.
The incident has renewed concerns over waterway safety in rural Nigeria, where overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations frequently contribute to fatal accidents, particularly during the rainy season.
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