SOKOTO, Aug 18(Alliance News): Rescue workers are searching for more than 40 people after a boat carrying over 50 passengers capsized on Sunday in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto State, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.
The boat was en route to a local market when the accident occurred. According to NEMA, about 10 passengers have been rescued, while more than 40 remain missing.
Boat accidents are frequent on Nigeria’s poorly regulated waterways, often caused by overcrowding and poor maintenance, especially during the rainy season when rivers and lakes swell.
At least 16 farmers died in a similar accident in Sokoto State in August 2024 when their canoe capsized while crossing a river to rice fields.
On July 29 this year, six girls drowned in Jigawa State after their boat overturned midstream while returning from farm work. Just two days earlier, 13 people were killed in another accident in central Niger State.
Authorities have warned communities to exercise caution, as the risk of such tragedies increases during the rainy season.
