Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
Sokoto State has been plunged into mourning yet again as a passenger boat carrying dozens capsized on Thursday in Shagari Local Government Area, leaving many feared dead and several others missing.
The disaster, confirmed by Aminu Liman Bodinga, Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), marks the third major boat mishap in the state within a single month, intensifying public outcry over unsafe waterway transport.
Bodinga disclosed that SEMA, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), had deployed emergency responders to the scene to carry out urgent search and rescue operations. Survivors are still being pulled out, while the recovery of bodies is ongoing.
Eyewitnesses reported that the ill-fated boat was overloaded with men, women, and children before it capsized mid-journey, throwing passengers into the river.
Some managed to swim to safety, but many remain unaccounted for, with fears that the casualty figure could rise significantly.
Community leaders and experts have repeatedly warned that these tragedies stem from unsafe practices, including the use of non-motorized boats, overloading, lack of life jackets, and poor enforcement of safety standards.
Despite recurring accidents, little has changed in terms of government intervention or regulation.
Residents of riverine communities, who rely heavily on waterways for daily survival, are now living in fear and grief.
Calls are growing louder for both state and federal governments to invest in safer, modern boats urgently, enforce strict safety rules, and provide life-saving equipment to avert further avoidable deaths.
As anguished families in Shagari and neighboring towns await news of their missing loved ones, the atmosphere remains one of despair and unanswered questions.
Stakeholders warn that unless decisive action is taken, the cycle of sorrow, loss, and tragedy will continue to ravage Sokoto’s waterways.
