About 40 Feared Dead as Boat Carrying Rice Farmers Capsizes in Sokoto

About 40 people are feared dead after a boat carrying farmers to their rice farms capsized in Gorau town, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The incident reportedly occurred while the passengers were crossing a stream to reach their farms, with many of those on board said to be children between the ages of 10 and 15.

An eyewitness said more than 70 people were travelling on the boat when it capsized shortly after leaving the riverbank.

A local journalist at the scene, Sharhabilu Yahuza Kiliya, said about 40 bodies had been recovered from the water, while six people, including the village head, were rescued.

According to him, the passengers comprised farm owners and labourers who were travelling to the rice farms for harvesting activities.

The scale of the incident has raised concerns over the safety of water transportation in rural communities, particularly during farming seasons when large numbers of residents rely on boats to reach their farms.

Local divers and other community members are currently conducting rescue operations in the area as they search for people still missing.

The divers are also continuing efforts to recover bodies from the water.

The exact number of people who were on board and the final death toll remain unclear as rescue operations are ongoing.

Authorities are yet to issue a comprehensive official statement confirming the number of casualties.

Sowore Blasts NDLEA Over Cannabis Farm Destruction, Demands Legalisation and Regulation

Human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the destruction of cannabis farms in Edo State, describing the action as a waste of economic opportunities amid Nigeria’s worsening poverty.

Sowore made his position known in a post on X on Tuesday, where he condemned the agency for destroying what he described as economically viable crops worth millions of dollars.

“It is idiotic @ndlea_nigeria wake up, put on uniforms, march into farms, and set economically viable crops worth millions of dollars ablaze while your country is drowning in multidimensional poverty,” Sowore wrote.

He called on the NDLEA to stop destroying cannabis farms and criticised what he described as a failed and outdated approach to cannabis control in Nigeria.

“Stop destroying cannabis farms. Stop wasting enormous economic opportunities in the name of a failed and outdated policy,” he said.

Sowore argued that Nigeria should instead legalise and properly regulate cannabis cultivation and its legitimate uses, saying the country could develop an industry capable of creating jobs and generating government revenue.

He also called for greater investment in research to explore the medicinal and industrial applications of cannabis.

“Legalize and properly regulate cannabis. Invest in research, harness its legitimate medicinal and industrial potential, create jobs, generate revenue, and build an industry Nigerians can benefit from,” he said.

The AAC presidential candidate concluded his message with a strong criticism of the government’s approach, declaring: “You cannot burn your way out of poverty, foolish people!”

Sowore’s comments followed reports of cannabis farm destruction by the NDLEA in Edo State. The agency has continued to conduct operations against cannabis cultivation and other illicit drug activities as part of its mandate to combat drug trafficking and abuse.

The NDLEA has maintained that cannabis cultivation and trafficking remain illegal under Nigeria’s current drug laws, while the agency continues to destroy illicit plantations and arrest suspected drug traffickers.

Sowore’s latest comments have therefore reignited the debate over Nigeria’s cannabis policy, particularly whether the country should continue with the prohibition and destruction of cannabis plantations or consider a regulated legal framework for medicinal, industrial and economic purposes.

His position is also consistent with his broader advocacy for changes to Nigeria’s drug policy and his argument that the country should explore economic opportunities from industries currently operating outside the legal framework.