The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has rescued no fewer than 25 passengers on Wednesday after a boat carrying more than 50 people capsized in Sokoto State.

According to NEMA, three bodies have so far been recovered from the boat accident, while 25 people out of the over 50 passengers of the boat have so far been rescued.

NEMA’s Head of Sokoto Operations Office, Aliyu Kafindangi, disclosed that the agency had concluded the search and rescue operation.

“For the past three days, we have been on a rescue mission after a boat carrying farmers, market men, and women capsized.

“The boat capsized on Sunday with over 50 passengers on board. Luckily for us, that very day, 25 people were rescued alive. And then the following day, search and rescue continued, but we were not able to retrieve anybody,” Kafindangi said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“But yesterday [Tuesday], three bodies were retrieved. We are getting a report that some of the bodies have been retrieved, but we are going after this interview.

“But as it is, search and rescue has been called off because it’s expected that after 24 hours, there is no chance of finding any survivors of the boat accident,” he added.

Kafindangi added that the wooden boat was overloaded with passengers and other items.

He said the agency had always engaged the communities, the local canoe operators, the divers, the community leaders, youth leaders, the market, and the local government and the state officials on safety on waterways.

The NEMA official added, “We always sensitise, educate, and tell them what to do, how to operate their canoes. For example, the canoe was overloaded, a wooden vessel carrying over 50 passengers along with about seven motorcycles.”

On Tuesday, the member representing Goronyo-Gada Federal Constituency of Sokoto in the House of Representatives, Bashir Gorau, said 26 persons had been rescued following the accident.

The latest mishap adds to the string of boat accidents that have become frequent on Nigeria’s waterways, largely blamed on overcrowding and poorly maintained wooden vessels.

In August 2024, at least 16 farmers died when a canoe ferrying them to their rice fields capsized in Sokoto State. In May 2025, another accident claimed at least 27 lives in Gbajibo community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, barely seven months after a similar tragedy killed about 100 people in the same area.

In July 2025, six girls also drowned when a boat taking them home from farm work capsized midstream in Jigawa State.