At least 52 bodies, including those of 11 family members, have been buried following a boat accident in Gorau town, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The boat, which was carrying farmers and workers to their rice farms, capsized at about 8:30 am on Wednesday while crossing a waterway.
More than 70 people were reportedly on board, including several children, most of them girls.
The Head of Operations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar, said the agency was yet to ascertain the exact number of victims.
He, however, disclosed that 52 bodies had so far been buried.
“We are about to meet with officials of the sister agency and the local government officials to know the exact number of the victims,” he said.
Abubakar promised to provide further details after the meeting.
Also, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Abdullahi Ghani, said authorities were at the scene assessing the situation and working to determine the exact number of affected persons.
“Right now all the concerned authorities are there assessing the situation, trying to know the exact number of the affected persons. No official data yet,” the agency said.
Rescue operations were still ongoing as of the time of filing this report, with local divers and residents searching the water for those still missing.
How I survived – Village head
The village head of Gorau, Malam Aliyu Na-Batsami, said the boat, which was carrying more than 70 passengers, capsized after reaching the middle of the waterway.
“There were more than 70 of us in the boat. Most of us were farmers going to our farms to work. There were also children among us, most of them girls,” he said.
Na-Batsami, who survived the accident, said he struggled to stay afloat after the boat capsized before grabbing a sack that had floated to the surface.
“By God’s grace, some people who had entered the water eventually rescued me,” he said.
He said the incident was the first boat accident recorded in his area but had resulted in a huge loss of lives.
“There is one household that lost 11 children. But I did not lose anyone from my household because my children had already crossed the river before the incident,” he said.
The village head explained that he had stayed behind to attend to community responsibilities, including naming ceremonies and settling disputes, before proceeding to the farm.
One of the residents who participated in the rescue operation, Mallam Ya’u ECG, told Daily Trust that the boat developed a fault shortly after leaving the shore, causing it to capsize with the passengers on board.
Another resident, Usman Yusuf Shanka, said he lost his younger brother’s wife, Jamila Aminu, and her two children, Yasir Aminu and Sani Aminu.
He also identified another child from the family, Umar Muhammad, as one of those who died.
He appealed to the government to urgently intervene by providing a safer means of transportation for farmers who regularly cross the dam to access their farmlands.
“We are calling on the government to take action on the dam by providing a safer means of crossing, including constructing a bridge, because farmers have to pass through this place to reach their farms,” he said.
Attahiru Iliyasu, another resident who took part in the rescue operation, said several of his relatives were among those who died, including his nephew.
Lawmaker blames overload
The member representing Goronyo constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Nasiru Adamu, attributed the accident to overload.
According to him, the operator said he had tried to prevent passengers from overcrowding the boat but they refused to follow his instructions.
“When we asked him why he allowed over 70 people to board the boat, he said he did his best to stop them from overcrowding the boat, but they refused to follow his instructions,” Adamu said.
He urged residents to exercise caution when using waterways and avoid overcrowding boats.
“A similar accident occurred last year in a place called Kojo, also in Goronyo, where many lives were lost,” he said.
The latest accident comes despite an earlier intervention by the Sokoto State Government aimed at improving safety in riverine communities across the state.
Last year, the government distributed 20 motorised boats and 2,000 life jackets to communities that depend largely on waterways for transportation and access to farms, markets and neighbouring settlements.
The distribution was carried out during a ceremony in Dundaye village, Wamakko Local Government Area, where Governor Ahmed Aliyu said the initiative was aimed at protecting the lives and property of residents who rely on waterways for their daily activities.
Aliyu said the intervention was prompted by concerns over boat accdients in some parts of the state, which had resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property.
The governor also warned boat operators against overloading and directed chairmen of benefiting local government areas to ensure the proper maintenance and security of the boats.
However, the member representing Goronyo Constituency, Adamu, said the intervention had not reached the people of Gorau.
“Gorau had not received the engine-powered boats and life jackets reportedly purchased and distributed by the Sokoto State Government to communities located along waterways,” he said.
(DAILY TRUST)
