Rescue operators have recovered 46 bodies in the Sokoto boat accident
Not less than 46 bodies have been recovered from the boat accident in Gorau Community, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, the state Police Command confirmed.
The accident occurred on Thursday, August 20, 2026 when a boat carrying 77 passengers, including men, women and children, reportedly capsized in the community.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said 46 corpses had been recovered while 15 passengers were rescued alive.
Rufai said rescue operations were still ongoing, with security agencies and emergency responders searching for the remaining 16 passengers.
According to him, the rescue team comprised local divers, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency and the Police.
Rufai added, “46 corpses have so far been recovered, while 15 persons were rescued alive. The rescue team, comprising local divers, NEMA, SEMA and the Police, is still searching for the remaining 16 persons.”
The police spokesman added that “77 persons were on board the boat at the time of the incident.”
The development has thrown Gorau Community into mourning, with families anxiously waiting for information about their loved ones.
The latest incident occurred exactly one year after a similar boat accident in Kijio Community, also in Goronyo Local Government. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has expressed deep sorrow over the boat accident.
Reacting to the tragedy in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’iya described the incident as a “devastating tragedy,” particularly as some of the passengers were reportedly children between the ages of 10 and 15 travelling with farmers and labourers.
He said, “I am deeply saddened by this tragic incident and the loss of precious lives in Gorau. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones and those whose relatives are still missing.”
The ADC candidate commended local divers and residents participating in the rescue operation, while urging the Sokoto State Government and relevant emergency agencies to immediately deploy additional personnel, medical teams and rescue equipment to the affected community.
Dan’iya also called for proper identification and documentation of victims to enable their families to receive appropriate assistance.
He said the incident had exposed the urgent need to provide safer means of transportation for farming communities located around waterways.
“This tragedy highlights the urgent need for safer means of transportation for our farming communities. No farmer should have to risk his or her life simply to access a farm and provide food for the family,” he said.
Dan’iya called for a comprehensive assessment of waterways in the state, provision of properly regulated boats and life jackets, training of boat operators, emergency response equipment and the construction of bridges or alternative crossings where necessary.
According to him, “The safety and welfare of rural communities must remain a fundamental responsibility of government, especially when citizens are travelling to their farms to produce food and sustain their families.”
He further pledged that an ADC administration in Sokoto would prioritise rural infrastructure, agricultural development and community safety.
Dan’iya extended his condolences to the families of the deceased, the Gorau community, Goronyo Local Government and the people of Sokoto State.
