52 DEAD IN NIGERIA BOAT ACCIDENT, CHILDREN AMONG MOST VICTIMS

Fri 21 August 2026:

The death toll from a boat accident in northwestern Nigeria has climbed to 52, officials confirmed.

Sokoto State authorities announced on Friday morning that the number of fatalities from the capsizing of an overloaded vessel had increased to 52, with the majority of the victims reported to be children.

“We are about to meet with officials of the local government to know the families of the victims,” Tukur Abubakar, head of operations at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto State, said.

Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority, said ⁠on Thursday that the bodies of at least 40 children had been found.

Nasiru Adamu, a politician at the Sokoto State legislature, said that those on board were mostly aged ⁠between 10 and 15 years old.

Abdullahi Ghani, spokesperson for the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told the Anadolu news agency that authorities were still at the scene assessing the situation and working to determine the exact number of people involved in the accident.

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A former councillor in Gorau told the AFP news agency that dozens had already been buried.

Resident Samaila Garba said his 13-year-old granddaughter, Jamila Usman, was among the dead.

“You know, during the rainy season, most women and children go to the farm to work,” he told The Associated Press.

The boat was carrying farmers and workers to rice farms when it overturned while crossing a waterway near Gorau town in the Goronyo Local Government Area.

One resident, Aminu Dan Hajiya, said he goes to his farm using the same waterway and considers himself lucky not to have been on the boat.

“In fact, almost every household in the community has been affected,” he told AP.

Residents said the boat was carrying more than 70 people when it capsized.

Boating accidents are common in Nigeria, with dozens drowning each year on the country’s busy rivers and waterways, often caused by overloading, poor maintenance or failure to comply with safety regulations.

52 dead in Nigeria boat accident, children among most victims

Abdulkadir Yusuf, an area manager at the National Inland Waterways Authority, said ⁠on Thursday that the bodies of at least 40 children had been found. Nasiru Adamu, a politician at the Sokoto State legislature, said… pic.twitter.com/VkuHb95nlu

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) August 21, 2026

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, with overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety rules often blamed for deaths. At least five people drowned when a boat overturned in Jigawa state last month.

In January, at least 26 people drowned when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe state capsized.

And in December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers capsized.

The authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed.

But many of these measures have not been fully implemented or properly enforced.

For millions of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities, rivers are an important means of transport. Many villages are located near waterways, while poor roads and a lack of bridges can make travel by land difficult.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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