One dies, many missing after boat carrying farmers capsizes in Jigawa

One person is confirmed dead and 39 others remain missing after a local wooden boat carrying over 40 passengers capsized in Jigawa State.

The boat mishap occurred at the Malamawar Yan Dutse community waterway within the Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Available information indicated that the passengers were predominantly female farmers and agricultural labourers who were traveling across the river to access their farmlands.

The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the tragic incident in a statement.

According to the Command, the incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday when the local boat carrying more than 40 passengers capsized while in transit, leaving many trapped in the water.

Upon receipt of the report, the Command said officers, local divers and emergency responders were deployed to the scene.

“One body has so far been recovered, while efforts continue to locate the remaining passengers, many of whom were reportedly women travelling for farming activities,” the Police Public Relations Officer, Jigawa State Command, SP Shi’isu Adam, said in a statement.

Adam said one body had been recovered, while search and rescue operations were ongoing.

He stated that efforts were continuing to locate the remaining 39 passengers who were still unaccounted for.

According to him, the Command is working with other emergency agencies to thoroughly search the area, assuring that further details would be made public in due course.

Also confirming the incident, the Director of Planning at the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency said the victims were mostly female farmers and labourers travelling to their farms when the boat capsized.

He said the exact cause of the accident had yet to be established, adding that an assessment was still ongoing.

He said, “Hands are on deck as combined efforts continue to determine the exact number of those rescued or missing,” adding that casualty figures could not be confirmed yet as operations continued.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Ringim Local Government Emergency Management Committee, Habibu Dauda, said local divers and residents had joined emergency responders in the search operation.

Habibu urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, assuring that an official update would be issued once rescue operations yield clearer information.