Nigerian rescuers are looking for missing dozens

The rescuers in northern Nigeria are looking for more than 40 missing passengers after a boat accident in the state of Sokoto, the authorities said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that the boat was carrying more than 50 people on a local market when it capsized in the Goronyo river on Sunday.

A Sokoto official told the BBC that four people had been found alive. Nema said it “intensified efforts alongside local authorities to locate (those) still missing”.

Boats accidents regularly occur in Nigeria due to overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and non-compliance with safety regulations.

In December 2024, 54 bodies were found from the Niger river after a boat that could have transported more than 200 passengers.

A month earlier, a wooden canoe, filled with nearly 300 passengers, overturned and sank in the middle of Niger killing nearly 200 people.

In another accident that attracted a lot of attention, more than 100 people drowned two years ago in the southwest part of the country.

The ship in which they were transporting around 300 passengers traveling from Kwara to Niger State after a wedding celebration.

According to government regulations, all passengers are supposed to wear life vests, but they are not always available, especially in rural areas.