40 Women, Children Feared Dead as Boat Capsizes in Jigawa
No fewer than 40 women and children are feared dead after a canoe conveying passengers capsized in a river in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State, triggering an intensive search and rescue operation by emergency responders and local divers.
The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the tragic incident on Monday, saying rescue teams had been deployed to the scene to recover victims and search for possible survivors.
The command disclosed that one body had been recovered, while efforts were ongoing to locate the remaining missing passengers.
The Director of Planning at the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Muhammad Sanusi, said the victims were predominantly women and children engaged in farming and other agricultural activities. He explained that they were travelling by canoe when the vessel capsized, although the exact cause of the incident had yet to be established.
Sanusi added that officials of the emergency management agency, local divers and community volunteers had joined forces in the search and rescue operation. He noted that authorities were still working to determine the exact number of passengers on board, as well as the number of those rescued and those still missing.
The police assured residents that every available resource was being deployed to the operation, expressing optimism that more victims could still be found as the search continued.
The latest tragedy has once again highlighted growing concerns over recurring boat accidents in Nigeria’s riverine communities, particularly in the northern region, where waterways remain a major means of transportation for farmers and rural dwellers.
Safety experts have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of water transport regulations, including the compulsory use of life jackets, regular inspection of boats and increased public awareness to reduce the rising number of fatalities on the nation’s inland waterways.