'We are devastated' - Nigerian villagers bury bodies after overloaded boat capsizes

BBC

At least 48 people have died in Nigeria after an overloaded boat with an estimated 70 passengers capsized on a river in a remote area of north-western Sokoto state.

"We are devastated at the moment," Hussaini Shehu, a resident of Gorau village, told the BBC, explaining that the accident had happened on Thursday morning as people were heading out to their rice farms along the banks of the river.

Photos taken at the village mosque show many of the recovered bodies wrapped in mats and traditional cloths ahead of their burial. Authorities say they have rescued around 10 people so far.

Bashir Usman Gorau, a lawmaker in the area, told the BBC that many of the victims were children.

In farming communities, children often accompany their parents to farms to help with agricultural activities - and at the moment the community is harvesting rice.

Why do boat disasters keep happening in Nigeria?

The authorities say search and rescue efforts are continuing as people are still missing - and teams worked through the night.

The remote location, poor access and unreliable mobile phone coverage have made it difficult to get information.

"There are over 70 people in the boat and l0 have been rescued," Shehu said.

Kidnapping

Gorau said the wooden vessel had been overloaded but had also developed a leak "through which water gushed in".

But Shehu said the security services had not been able to get to them as an armed group had been active nearby on Thursday.

The BBC has contacted the police for comment.

Heavily armed criminal gangs - which loot and kidnap for ransom - operate across parts of north-west and north-central Nigeria. The insecurity makes accessing remote areas difficult and has forced lots of communities to abandon their homes.

A militant jihadist group called Lakurawa has also been active in Sokoto and neighbouring Kebbi state.

Last December, US President Donald Trump and the Nigerian government launched airstrikes in Sokoto, saying they were targeting Islamic State militants. IS has not linked itself to Lakurawa as it has done with other groups in the region that it backs.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, with overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety rules often blamed for deaths. At least five people drowned when a boat overturned in Jigawa state last month.

In January, at least 26 people drowned when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe State capsized.

And in December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers capsized.

The authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed.