Saturday, August 30, 2025 - The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed another fatal boat mishap for the third time within this month at Jaranja river in Shagari local government area of Sokoto State.
NIWA Area
Manager in Sokoto, Bala Bello, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday
in Sokoto that two persons died, while nine survivors were rescued.
Mr Bello,
who said the incident occured in the afternoon of Friday, attributed it to
negligence, canoe overloading and safety rules violation.
He
explained that a rescue team that comprised officials from NIWA, National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
and Red Cross Society had been deployed to the scene.
Mr Bello
said the team confirmed the casualty figures while search and rescue operations
were ongoing to locate the missing persons.
The Area
Manager reiterated that NIWA had been engaging riverine communities on safety
measures, guidelines, use of life jackets and other considerations on water
usage.
The Sokoto
State Government confirmed the death of four passengers, 41 survivors and five
missing persons in a boat mishap on 17 August at Kojiyo Village in Goronyo
Local Government Area of the state.
Another
incident occured on 22 August, at Faji Community in Sabon Birni Local
Government Area of the state, while the present incident was the third within
the month.
Speaking at
the scene, Tukur Abubakar, the NEMA head of Rescue and Rehabilitation, said
search and rescue operations were ongoing in order to locate the missing
person.
A resident,
Malam Abubakar Jabbi from La told NAN that 9 persons were rescued by local
divers, one body recovered while a female body among the boat passengers is
still missing.
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