No fewer than 10 people, mostly children, have lost their lives in a boat mishap in Zalla Bango, a remote village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the incident on Friday, saying the tragedy occurred when an overloaded wooden canoe capsized while ferrying villagers across a river.
Police spokesperson, Ahmad Rufa’i, told newsmen that all the bodies were recovered the following day.
“The corpses recovered were 10 in number, and most of them were children,” Rufa’i said.
Though the exact cause of the trip remains unclear, reports suggest that the victims might have been fleeing bandit attacks in the area.
While some media outlets reported that the passengers were escaping a fresh wave of violence, others said the canoe hit a collapsed culvert along the Goronyo–Sabon Birni road before overturning.
The command, however, stopped short of confirming whether the victims were indeed fleeing an attack, insisting investigations were ongoing.
Boat accidents have become a recurring nightmare in Sokoto’s riverine communities. Rufa’i admitted that this year alone, the state had witnessed at least four similar mishaps.
“Most of the affected communities are far from metropolitan areas and their local government headquarters, making it difficult for them to access help easily,” he explained.
Civil society groups blame the frequent accidents on unsafe water transport practices, including overloading, reliance on wooden canoes, lack of life jackets, and absence of emergency rescue services.
Between 2020 and August 2025, at least eight boat accidents were recorded in Sokoto State, claiming over 70 lives, according to data from humanitarian reports.
Only last month, four people were killed and 41 rescued when a boat capsized near Goronyo Dam.
Sabon Birni, where the latest accident occurred, has been a flashpoint of repeated bandit attacks, forcing villagers to flee at short notice.
Community leaders and humanitarian workers have repeatedly called on the government to not only improve water safety regulations but also address the insecurity that drives rural dwellers into such desperate crossings.
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