By Musa Ubandawaki
A pall of grief has descended on Garin-Faji Village in Sabon-Birni Native Authorities Space of Sokoto State following a tragic boat mishap that claimed the lives of six individuals within the early hours of Friday, twenty second August 2025.
The incident, which occurred round 5:30 a.m., concerned dozens of passengers crossing an area water channel. In keeping with eyewitnesses, the boat capsized halfway, inflicting its occupants to plunge into the river.
In a press release made obtainable to newsmen on Sunday by the state Sokoto Emergency Supervisor Company SEMA, out of the passengers on board, six individuals have been confirmed lifeless, whereas 19 others have been miraculously rescued by native divers and first responders. Sadly, three people stay unaccounted for, fueling fears that the demise toll could rise if they don’t seem to be discovered alive.
The heartbreaking incident has left households devastated, with many nonetheless looking out the riverbanks within the hope of discovering their family members. Villagers described the scene as chaotic, with wails of grief echoing throughout the neighborhood.
In a swift response to the tragedy, the Sokoto State Emergency Administration Company (SEMA) mobilized a joint workforce of officers from the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company (NEMA) Sokoto Operations Workplace, the Nationwide Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Purple Cross.
The joint evaluation workforce visited the affected neighborhood to substantiate the extent of the catastrophe and to offer rapid help. Additionally they met with conventional rulers, neighborhood leaders, and households of the victims in a fact-finding session aimed toward documenting eyewitness accounts.
The delegation was led by Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Kafin-Dangi, Head of the NEMA Sokoto Operations Workplace. He was accompanied by Hon. Aminu Liman Bodinga, Particular Adviser to Sokoto SEMA (represented by Mustapha Umar, Director of Reduction and Rehabilitation), and Engr. Muhammad Bello Bala of NIWA.
Throughout the go to, the officers expressed their deep condolences to the neighborhood, pledging that authorities companies wouldn’t relent till the three lacking individuals are accounted for.
Talking on behalf of the delegation, Alhaji Kafin-Dangi assured residents that classes could be drawn from the mishap to enhance security requirements on waterways within the state. He additionally emphasised the necessity for strict adherence to security measures by boat operators.
The Sokoto SEMA workforce introduced {that a} complete joint report on the tragedy will quickly be launched by NEMA Sokoto, NIWA, and the State Emergency Administration Company, with suggestions to forestall a recurrence.
In the meantime, search and rescue operations are nonetheless ongoing, as emergency employees and native divers proceed to comb the river within the hope of finding the three lacking passengers.
Neighborhood members, although devastated, have joined fingers with rescue groups, providing boats, ropes, and manpower to assist the continued operation.
The Garin-Faji mishap has as soon as once more highlighted the hazards of unsafe water transport and underscored the pressing want for efficient regulatory enforcement to guard rural dwellers who depend on boats for his or her day by day survival.
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