Multiple Casualties Feared as Another Boat Capsizes in Sokoto
Multiple Casualties Feared as Another Boat Capsizes in Sokoto
Communities in Sokoto State have been thrown into mourning after yet another boat mishap in Shagari Local Government Area on Thursday evening claimed several lives.
The tragedy marks the third boat accident in Sokoto within a month, raising fresh concerns about safety standards on the state’s waterways.
Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Aminu Liman Bodinga, said emergency officials had been deployed to the scene for search and rescue.
“SEMA is working with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to rescue survivors and recover victims,” Bodinga said.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the ill-fated boat was overloaded before it capsized mid-river, throwing all passengers overboard. The exact number of casualties remains unclear, but locals fear the death toll could be significant.
NIPOST Imposes $80 Mandatory Duty on U.S.-Bound Shipments
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has introduced a mandatory prepaid customs duty of $80 (₦122,400) on all international postal shipments from Nigeria to the United States.
Announcing the directive in Abuja on Thursday, NIPOST’s Director of Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Musa, said the measure followed a U.S. Executive Order suspending duty-free exemptions on global postal items.
Effective immediately, the levy applies to all non-document items, including parcels and packages. Musa clarified that while the fee is a U.S. customs duty, NIPOST has been mandated to collect it at the point of acceptance in Nigeria.
He explained that the policy is not exclusive to Nigeria, as postal operators worldwide have been directed to comply. However, Musa cautioned that the change may result in higher costs and longer delivery timelines, given new restrictions imposed by international cargo carriers.
“This new charge and its potential delays represent a major shift in both the cost and speed of sending parcels to the United States,” he said.
By Haruna Yakubu Haruna
