Tragedy struck in Sokoto State on Thursday evening when a boat carrying villagers home from a weekly market overturned in Lambara village, Shagari Local Government Area. At least two people are believed to have lost their lives in the third serious water accident in the region this August.
The unfortunate event unfolded around 8 p.m. as 11 passengers embarked on their journey back from the neighboring Yabo Local Government Area market. According to officials from the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the vessel capsized midstream, plunging the occupants into the water.
Rescue teams managed to pull nine individuals to safety. However, a 20-year-old man tragically drowned, and an elderly woman remains unaccounted for as efforts continue to locate her. This mishap adds to the sorrow felt across the state following two previous waterway disasters earlier this month in Goronyo and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas, which together resulted in ten fatalities.
Residents and local authorities have intensified search and recovery attempts, while many are urging for enhanced safety protocols on Sokoto’s rivers to prevent such incidents in the future.
Just days prior, a similar calamity in Goronyo claimed four lives. Sources reveal that panic-gripped villagers when armed bandits were spotted approaching their bush hideouts, prompting many to flee by boat in the dead of night. The canoe, overwhelmed by the number of passengers, tipped over as they tried to escape.
One local recounts,
When the bandits were seen approaching, people rushed onto the boat recklessly. The overloaded vessel capsized in the river
Hon. Aminu Boza, a representative from Sabon Birni in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, verified the occurrence and highlighted the toll insecurity has taken on the region. He said many villages have become deserted at night. Men camp in the forest and only come back at dawn
Boza acknowledged government efforts, noting that Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) have been deployed, resulting in some arrests and foiled attacks, yet stressed the need for increased security coverage.
SEMA confirmed that 19 people were rescued from the water in a related rescue mission while three remain missing. A senior official explained that a joint team, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Red Cross, visited the affected communities to verify casualties and provide support to affected families. An official report is anticipated from this collaborative assessment.
Local leaders and residents alike call for urgent improvements to waterway safety and enhanced security deployment, as Sokoto battles insecurity and repeated river tragedies. Without swift and sustained action, the fragile peace and wellbeing of these communities remain at great risk.
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