Sokoto State is reeling from yet another wave of deadly boat mishaps, with 36 people losing their lives in August alone across Goronyo, Sabon Birni, and Shagari local government areas. The rising toll has pushed fatalities from boat accidents in the state to 74 since 2020, deepening grief among already vulnerable riverine communities.
The most recent tragedy occurred on August 29 in Shagari LGA, where a boat capsized, leaving one dead and an 80-year-old woman missing. Earlier in the month, a similar accident in Kojiyo, Goronyo LGA, left over 25 passengers missing after their vessel sank. In Sabon Birni, a boat overloaded with villagers fleeing a bandit attack also capsized, killing six.
These incidents mirror earlier disasters, including the 2022 Shagari Earth Dam mishap that claimed 29 lives and the 2020 Birjingo canoe accident in which nine women drowned. Despite repeated tragedies, little progress has been made to improve water transport safety.
Experts and civil society groups blame the recurring deaths on fragile wooden canoes, overcrowding, the absence of life jackets, and weak regulatory oversight. They argue that government promises to provide safer motorised boats and enforce safety protocols have remained unfulfilled. Community leaders are now calling for a state of emergency on water transportation.
The crisis has been compounded by insecurity, as residents fleeing bandit attacks are often forced into unsafe boats at night, turning rivers into escape routes and, too often, watery graves. For grieving families, repeated condolences feel hollow as the cycle of loss continues.
With dozens dead in just one month, residents are demanding urgent intervention, warning that unless decisive measures are taken, Sokoto’s rivers will remain mass graves for the poor and vulnerable.
