By FOLORUNSHO ATTA
No fewer than 30 traders, including women, are feared dead following a tragic boat accident that occurred on Sunday in Kojiyo village, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
According to dependable sources the victims were reportedly on their way to the weekly Goronyo market when their boat, carrying both passengers and goods, capsized around 1.30pm.
Eyewitness said the boat was overloaded, also transporting motorcycles alongside the traders.
According to local sources, the traders hailed from communities in both Goronyo and neighbouring Gada local government areas.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Goronyo LGA, Hon. Zubairu Yari, said four people were rescued alive.
He said the exact number of passengers onboard could not be confirmed, but acknowledged that the boat was overcrowded.
“The traders came from different communities, including Gada LGA, to attend the Sunday market.
“Rescue efforts are ongoing, but the situation is challenging due to heavy water flow from Goronyo Dam, which is being released to prevent overflow,” he said.
He added that appeals have been sent to nearby communities to assist in locating the bodies of the victims, expressing hope that some would be recovered today.
The chairman attributed the incident to overloading and poor road accessibility, which forces many residents to rely on water transport.
He, however, said the state government is currently constructing roads and bridges to improve access in the area.
In response to the tragedy, Yari said he had directed that no boat should be overloaded going forward.
He also emphasised the need for a proper passenger manifest to be maintained for all canoe operations within the communities.
Search and recovery operations are ongoing at the time of filing this report last night.
The member representing Gada-Goronyo Federal Constituency, Hon. Bashir Usman Gorau, has called on the management of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority to temporarily suspend the release of water from the Goronyo Dam to allow for the recovery of bodies following the tragic incident.
The lawmaker, visibly distressed by the incident, emphasised the urgent need to support ongoing rescue and recovery efforts by creating a safer environment for responders.
“I urge the authorities to consider a temporary halt in the water discharge for a few hours. This will greatly assist our brave rescue teams in recovering the remains of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate tragedy,” he said.
Sokoto State has witnessed several tragic boat mishaps in recent years, especially in Shagari Local Government Area, around rivers and dams in communities such as Gidan-Magana, Dandeji, and Rinaye.
In April 2022, a boat carrying 34 passengers, mostly women and children, capsized after hitting a submerged tree. Twenty-eight people died, while six others were rescued. The incident occurred in Gidan-Magana village of Shagari LGA.
The village head, Mohammed Auwalu, explained that the victims were crossing the water to a nearby village, Badiyawa, when the boat struck a log beneath the surface and overturned.
In October 2022, another accident happened in the same local government area. A boat carrying 25 passengers capsized in the evening, resulting in the deaths of 15 people.
The Chairman of Shagari LGA, Aliyu Dantani Shagari, who confirmed the fatalities, said the passengers were on their way to a Maulud celebration before the mishap occurred.
In May 2023, at least 17 teenagers lost their lives when a boat capsized in the Dandeji River, also in Shagari LGA. According to the council chairman, Aliyu Dantani, about 40 boys and girls were on board, heading to a nearby bush to fetch firewood when the incident happened.
In June 2025, tragedy struck again in Rinaye village of Shagari LGA when a boat carrying nine passengers capsized.
Seven people, four minors and three mothers, died in the incident, leaving only the captain and one passenger as survivors.
The latest boat accident, which occurred on Sunday in Kojiyo village, Goronyo LGA, has pushed the death toll from boat mishaps in Sokoto State to over 90 in the last three years.
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