Overloaded farm boat capsizes in Nigeria's Sokoto state, killing at least 50

Capsizing on the river

On Thursday morning, a wooden passenger vessel carrying farm workers capsized on a river in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto state. The vessel departed near Gorau town in the Goronyo local government area before sinking almost immediately. According to Gorau resident Ilyasu Adamu, the overloaded vessel sank barely one minute after taking off while spectators on the bank watched without the means to intervene. Local officials and residents reported that between 57 and more than 80 passengers were on board, most of them travelling to plant or harvest rice on surrounding agricultural land. Nasiru Adamu, a member of the Sokoto state legislature, confirmed that 16 people were rescued from the water following the incident.

Casualties and mass burials

The capsizing resulted in extensive casualties among women and young labourers. Nasiru Adamu stated that the passengers were mostly children between the ages of 10 and 15. Abdulkadir Yusuf, the Sokoto state manager for the National Inland Waterways Authority, reported that local rescue workers recovered the bodies of around 40 children from the river, placing the initial official death toll at 47 people. Local community members gathered in the forecourt of the village mosque in Gorau, where an observer saw 50 bodies wrapped in traditional cloths and mats prior to burial. Ibrahim Musa, a former local councillor in Gorau, described the recovery operations:

The situation is bad. We already buried 46 bodies and five others have just been brought out of the river.

Other community members recorded rising fatality figures throughout Thursday afternoon. Eyewitness Sharhabilu Kiliya stated that the death toll had reached 53 after additional bodies were retrieved from the water. Usman Yusuf, a local leader in Gorau, confirmed that at least 41 victims were buried during initial funeral services.

Impact on the Gorau community

The disaster directly affected numerous families in the agricultural district, where river transit is standard during farming seasons. Fifty-five-year-old resident Samaila Garba lost his 13-year-old granddaughter, Jamila Usman, in the accident. Garba reported counting at least 42 bodies of women and children, explaining the seasonal farm work to reporters:

You know, during the rainy season, most women and children go to the farm to work.

Another local resident, Aminu Dan Hajiya, noted that he routinely uses the same river route to reach his fields and narrowly avoided boarding the vessel. Hajiya stated that almost every household in the community has been affected by the drownings.

Emergency response and waterway hazards

Rescue teams including local divers and emergency officials mobilized along the waterway to search for missing passengers. Dahir Kure, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency in Sokoto state, confirmed that personnel deployed to the location to gather operational details and coordinate searches.

We are now at the scene of the boat accident and have begun rescue work.

Mustapha Umar, director of relief and rehabilitation at the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, stated that officials were assessing the area to provide updated counts. Deadly river accidents occur regularly in Nigeria during the rainy season, which runs from May to November and produces elevated water levels. In January 2026, a leaking boat capsized in Yobe state, resulting in at least 25 deaths, while at least five people drowned in a similar accident in Jigawa state in July 2026.