Tinubu expresses sympathy to Sokoto after boat tragedy that took over 50 lives

President Bola Tinubu has expressed his condolences to the Sokoto State government and its people following the boat accident in Gorau, Goronyo Local Government Area, which led to the deaths of over 50 people.

He also instructed federal agencies to collaborate with the Sokoto State Government to stop future incidents and enforce safety rules on the country's waterways.

Tinubu's message and instructions were shared in a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

“The news of this boat mishap deeply saddens me. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families during this difficult time,” the president said.

He prayed for the souls lost and expressed his sympathies to their families as well as the Sokoto State government and its people.

Tinubu also praised the emergency responders and local authorities who took part in the search and recovery efforts.

He directed the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to work closely with the Sokoto State Government “to prevent a recurrence and to ensure safety standards on waterways are strictly enforced.”

The president further promised the people of Sokoto State that the federal government would support them and prayed for the healing of those injured in the accident.

As PREMIUM TIMES reported, over 50 bodies have been found from the Gorau boat accident, while search operations continued. Emergency agencies worked to confirm differing reports on the number of passengers and victims.

The boat was on its way from Gorau to Birjingo when it capsized. Many on board were farmers and farm workers heading to rice farms across the waterway; children were also among the passengers.

The Sokoto State Police Command initially informed PREMIUM TIMES that there were 77 passengers on the boat. Its spokesperson, Ahmad Rufai, mentioned that 46 bodies had been recovered, seven passengers had been rescued, and 24 were still missing.

Tinubu's directive follows another tragic boat accident in the same local government area about a year ago. That incident led the Sokoto State Government to announce plans to improve water transport safety.

After the August 2025 accident near Kojiyo village, the Sokoto State Government said it had acquired 20 motorised boats and life jackets for riverine communities, with two allocated to Goronyo LGA.

The government later announced in September 2025 that it would distribute 20 motorised boats and 2,000 life jackets.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu said this effort aimed to reduce boat accidents and warned operators against overloading their vessels.

However, following the recent tragedy, Nasiru Adamu, a lawmaker from Goronyo Constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, told Daily Trust that the Gorau community had not received the engine-powered boats and life jackets promised by the state government.

It is still unclear where the two motorised boats said to be assigned to Goronyo LGA were sent, and whether any of the life jackets supplied were available at the Gorau crossing point.

Meanwhile, NIWA Governing Board Chairman Mukhtar Shehu Shagari has announced that the authority is working to replace wooden boats in Nigeria’s inland waterways to improve safety.

Shagari also urged state governments to work closely with NIWA on enforcement and called on boat operators and riverine communities to follow safety rules.