At least 22 people are feared dead after a boat carrying farmers and traders capsized in northwest Nigeria’s Sokoto state, the country’s emergency agency reported on Wednesday.
The vessel, carrying around 50 passengers to a local market, sank midstream on Sunday. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 25 people were rescued shortly after the accident, while three bodies were recovered on Tuesday.
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However, 22 passengers remain missing. NEMA’s head of operations in Sokoto, Aliyu Kafindangi, confirmed that rescue efforts have been called off. “Search and rescue has been called off because it’s expected that after 24 hours, there is no chance of finding any survivors,” he told local broadcaster Channels.
Boat accidents are frequent on Nigeria’s poorly regulated waterways, often due to overcrowding and poor vessel maintenance. The risks increase during the rainy season, when swollen rivers and lakes make travel even more dangerous.
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Just last year, in August 2024, at least 16 farmers lost their lives in a similar accident when a wooden canoe capsized while carrying them to their rice fields in Sokoto state.
