At least six persons have lost their lives while three others remain missing following a fresh boat mishap at Faji community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed the incident, which occurred on Thursday, August 22, along the Sokoto Rima River.
Speaking on Sunday, NIWA Area Manager in Sokoto, Bala Bello, disclosed that 19 passengers were rescued alive after the canoe capsized.
Bello blamed the tragedy on negligence, overloading, and violation of safety rules by operators.
“A combined team of NIWA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Red Cross visited the community and confirmed the death toll. Rescue operations are still ongoing to recover the three missing persons,” he said.
He added that despite continuous sensitisation campaigns, many riverine dwellers still ignore basic safety guidelines such as the use of life jackets.
The mishap comes barely five days after a similar incident claimed four lives, left 41 survivors, and five passengers missing in Kojiyo village, Goronyo Local Government Area of the state.
Boat accidents have become recurring tragedies across riverine communities in Nigeria, often linked to poor regulation, lack of safety equipment, and disregard for capacity limits.
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