In a devastating incident on the Jaranja River in Shagari Local Government Area, Sokoto State, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) reported a boat mishap that claimed two lives, with nine survivors rescued.
This marks the third such tragedy in the state this month, highlighting ongoing safety challenges on Nigeria’s waterways.
According to NIWA’s Sokoto Area Manager, Mr. Bala Bello, the accident occurred on Friday afternoon due to negligence, overloading of the canoe, and disregard for safety regulations.
“The incident was caused by canoe overloading and violation of safety rules,” Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Sokoto.
He noted that a coordinated rescue effort involving NIWA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Red Cross Society was promptly deployed to the scene.
Bello confirmed that the rescue team verified the casualty figures, with efforts ongoing to locate missing individuals.
“Search and rescue operations are still in progress to find any missing persons,” he stated.
He also emphasized NIWA’s continuous engagement with riverine communities to promote safety measures, including the use of life jackets and adherence to water transport guidelines.
NEMA’s Head of Rescue and Rehabilitation,Malam Tukur Abubakar, who was present at the scene, corroborated that rescue operations were underway to locate a missing passenger.
A local resident, Malam Abubakar Jabbi from La, informed NAN that local divers rescued nine individuals and recovered one body, but a female passenger remains unaccounted for.
This latest incident follows two other boat mishaps in Sokoto this month. On August 17, a tragedy at Kojiyo Village in Goronyo Local Government Area resulted in four deaths, 41 survivors, and five missing persons, as confirmed by the Sokoto State Government.
Another accident occurred on August 22 in Faji Community, Sabon Birni Local Government Area, underscoring the recurring nature of these preventable disasters.
The string of incidents has raised urgent calls for stricter enforcement of safety protocols to protect lives on Sokoto’s waterways.
NAN
