Around 40 Children Dead After Overloaded Boat Capsizes In Sokoto

At least 40 children have died after an overloaded boat capsized in Nigeria's Sokoto State while passengers were travelling to farms to plant or harvest rice. Local divers recovered the bodies and continued searching for survivors and missing passengers. The tragedy comes months after a January boat accident in Yobe State killed at least 25 people, highlighting recurring safety concerns on Nigeria's inland waterways

At least 40 children are among those feared dead after an overloaded passenger boat capsized in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto State on Thursday, with local divers continuing the search for victims.
Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), confirmed that around 40 bodies of children had been recovered so far.
The accident occurred in the Goronyo Local Government Area, near Gorau, as passengers were travelling to farms to plant or harvest rice.
Local resident Nasiru Gorau said community divers had recovered several bodies and that rescue operations were still ongoing.

BOAT REPORTEDLY OVERLOADED

Local accounts indicated that the boat was carrying a large number of passengers when it overturned.
Reports on the number of people aboard varied, with witnesses suggesting the vessel may have been carrying between about 57 and more than 70 people.
A local lawmaker later said the death toll had risen to 43, with 16 people rescued, although officials continued to assess the situation.
The disaster occurred during the rainy season, when many residents in rural communities rely heavily on waterways to reach farms.

SEARCH FOR VICTIMS CONTINUES

Local divers and emergency responders are continuing efforts to locate people who may still be missing and recover additional bodies.
The scale of the tragedy has renewed concerns about safety on Nigeria's inland waterways, where overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations have contributed to repeated accidents.

RELATED INCIDENT: 25 KILLED IN YOBE BOAT ACCIDENT

The Sokoto disaster comes months after another deadly boat accident in northeastern Nigeria.
In January 2026, at least 25 people were killed and 14 others remained missing after a passenger boat carrying 52 people capsized along the Yobe River in Yobe State.
Thirteen passengers were rescued from that incident, while search and rescue teams continued looking for those who were missing.
The Yobe accident involved residents travelling for activities including market visits, fishing and farming. Authorities and local volunteers were involved in the rescue operation.

RECURRING WATERWAY SAFETY CONCERNS

Boat accidents remain a recurring problem in parts of Nigeria, particularly in rural communities where waterways provide an important means of transportation.
Safety experts and emergency officials have repeatedly pointed to overloading, inadequate maintenance and insufficient enforcement of safety rules as factors that can turn routine journeys into major disasters.
The latest tragedy in Sokoto has once again raised questions about the enforcement of passenger limits and safety standards on the country's inland waterways.
As rescue operations continue, authorities are expected to provide further details on the number of passengers aboard the vessel and the final death toll.