Six confirmed dead, 19 saved in the latest Sokoto Ship accident – Niwa

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed other tragic ship accidents in the Sokoto state, this time in the FAJI community in the Sabon Birni Regional Government.

Speaking to reporters in Sokoto on Sunday, Niwa Regional Manager, Bala Bello, said the incident, which occurred on August 22, claimed six lives. He added that 19 passengers were rescued -alive, while the other three remained countless.

Bello associates the tragedy with negligence, excess sampan, and ignoring the stipulated safety rules. He revealed that the team together with the Inspector from Niwa, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Red Cross had visited the community to assess the situation.

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According to him, the victims’ numbers were confirmed during the visit, and the search and settlement operation was still ongoing to find missing passengers.

The area manager emphasized that Niwa was consistently involved with the river community in the water safety protocol, including the use of appropriate life jackets and compliance with guidelines to prevent the accident that could be avoided.

It will be remembered that only a few days earlier, on August 17, the Sokoto state government reported another accident in Kojiyo Village in the Goronyo Regional Government, where four passengers were killed, 41 were rescued, and five were lost after a ship was upside down along the Sokoto Rima River.