Recurring Boat Tragedies Plunge Sokoto Into Mourning

Sokoto State is once again mourning as a series of boat mishaps continues to claim lives across riverine communities, highlighting longstanding failures in water transport safety.

In just one month, 36 people have died in separate incidents across Goronyo, Sabon Birni, and Shagari local government areas. The latest disaster occurred on Thursday, August 29, 2025, in Shagari LGA, where a boat capsized, leaving one person dead and an 80-year-old woman missing. Survivors described a frantic overnight search that ended in despair.

Earlier in August, tragedy struck Kojiyo community in Goronyo LGA when an overloaded boat sank, leaving more than 25 passengers missing. Only four bodies were recovered after two weeks, deepening the community’s anguish. In Sabon Birni LGA, bandit attacks triggered yet another calamity, as fleeing villagers crowded into a vessel that later capsized. Six died instantly, while three others remain unaccounted for.

These recent incidents add to a grim history. In 2022, 29 people—mostly women and children—drowned in Shagari LGA, while in 2020, nine women perished in Goronyo after an overcrowded canoe capsized. Experts say poor safety standards, fragile wooden canoes, overloading, and the absence of life jackets are recurring causes of the disasters.

Civil society groups and humanitarian organisations blame successive governments for neglecting water transport safety. Despite repeated promises to provide modern motorised boats and enforce regulations, little has changed. For thousands of riverine dwellers, unsafe canoes remain the only link to markets, schools, and farmlands—forcing them to gamble with their lives daily.

Insecurity has compounded the crisis, with villagers fleeing bandit attacks often resorting to unsafe night crossings that end in tragedy.

With 74 deaths recorded from boat accidents since 2020, calls for urgent intervention are growing louder. Community leaders are urging the Sokoto State Government to declare a state of emergency on water transport and implement strict safety standards.

For grieving families, condolences have become routine, but the pain endures. As rivers continue to serve as both lifelines and death traps, communities are left asking: How many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken?