'We are devastated' - Nigerian villagers bury bodies after overloaded boat capsizes

At least 48 people have died in Nigeria after an overloaded boat with an estimated 70 passengers capsized on a river in a remote area of north-western Sokoto state.

"We are devastated at the moment," Hussaini Shehu, a resident of Gorau village, told the BBC, explaining that the accident had happened on Thursday morning as people were heading out to their rice farms along the banks of the river.

Photos taken at the village mosque show many of the recovered bodies wrapped in mats and traditional cloths ahead of their burial. It is believed that so far around 10 people have been rescued.

Bashir Usman Gorau, a lawmaker the area, told the BBC that many of the victims were children.

In farming communities, children often accompany their parents to farms to help with agricultural activities - and at the moment the community is harvesting rice.

The authorities say search and rescue efforts are continuing as people are still missing - and teams worked through the night.

The remote location, poor access and unreliable mobile phone coverage has made it difficult to get information.

"There are over 70 people in the boat and l0 have been rescued," Shehu said.

Gorau said the wooden vessel had been overloaded but had also developed a leak "through which water gushed in".

A team from Nigeria's emergency management agency (Nema) has reached the area.

But Shehu said the security services had not been able to get to them as an armed group had been active nearby on Thursday.

The BBC has contacted the police for comment.

Heavily armed criminal gangs - which loot and kidnap for ransom - operate across parts of north-west and north-central Nigeria. The insecurity makes accessing remote areas difficult and has forced lots of communities to abandon their homes.

A militant jihadist group called Lakurawa has also been active in Sokoto and neighbouring Kebbi state.

Last December, US President Donald Trump and the Nigerian government launched airstrikes in Sokoto, saying they were targeting Islamic State militants. IS has not linked itself to Lakurawa as it has done with other groups in the region that it backs.

Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, with overcrowding, poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety rules often blamed for deaths. At least five people drowned when a boat overturned in Jigawa state last month.

In January, at least 26 people drowned when a boat carrying farmers and fishermen from Jigawa to Yobe state capsized.

And in December 2024, 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a boat that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers capsized.

The authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed.

But many of these measures have not been fully implemented or properly enforced.

For millions of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities, rivers are an important means of transport. Many villages are located near waterways, while poor roads and a lack of bridges can make travel by land difficult.

Wooden boats are often used to transport people and goods, including to markets and neighbouring communities.

Additional reporting by BBC Hausa's Haruna Ibrahim

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica