Dozens Dead in River Disaster in Sokoto State

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:06:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A tragic boat disaster in north‑western Nigeria has killed 46 people, many children, as authorities recover bodies from the storm‑affected waters.

At least 46 bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying over 70 passengers, most of them children, capsized on a Niger River near Gorau in Sokoto State. Police report 16 survivors and 15 missing, with emergency services underway in a remote area. Witnesses describe a mass funeral outside a mosque, while authorities cite overcrowding and weak enforcement of safety rules as key causes of the tragedy. Calls for better training, life jackets and dredging of waterways come amid a pattern of similar river accidents across northern Nigeria.

Dozens Dead in River Disaster in Sokoto State

At least 46 bodies were recovered from a boat that overturned on the Niger River near Gorau, a remote town in north‑western Nigeria, officials said Thursday.

The vessel, reportedly carrying more than 70 passengers – mostly children – capsized amid high winds and poor weather, leaving crews scrambling for survival.

Police spokesperson Ahmad Rufai reported 46 deceased, 16 rescued and 15 missing, with emergency agencies deploying search teams to the hard‑to‑reach waters.

Local witnesses say the children were traveling with farm owners and laborers heading to rice fields; thirty‑plus bodies were wrapped in mats and cloths on the mosque’s front.

Overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and lax enforcement of safety rules are common causes of Nigerian river accidents, and authorities urge better training, life jackets and dredging of waterways.

The tragedy follows similar incidents in Jigawa and Yobe states last year, with dozens of deaths after capsizing or collisions.