The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed the death of two passengers in a boat accident at Jaranja River in Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The incident, which occurred on Friday afternoon, is the third fatal boat mishap in the state this month.
NIWA’s Area Manager in Sokoto, Bala Bello, said nine survivors were rescued while search efforts were ongoing to recover one missing passenger.
Bello attributed the tragedy to overloading, negligence, and disregard for safety rules.
He added that a combined rescue team made up of NIWA officials, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency, and the Red Cross was immediately deployed to the scene.
“Despite repeated sensitisation on the use of life jackets and other safety measures, some riverine communities still neglect the guidelines,” he lamented.
The fresh accident follows two others in August.
On August 17, four people were confirmed dead, five went missing, and 41 survived after a boat capsized in Kojiyo village, Goronyo LGA. Another mishap was recorded on August 22 at Faji community in Sabon Birni LGA.
At the Jaranja scene on Friday, NEMA’s Head of Rescue and Rehabilitation, Tukur Abubakar, said operations were ongoing to recover the remaining body.
A resident, Abubakar Jabbi, noted that nine passengers were saved by local divers, while one body was recovered and another — a female passenger — was still missing.