Local resident Ibrahim Musa, a former councillor in the affected Goronyo district, confirmed the recovery of the victims, stating that 46 bodies had been buried shortly after the incident, with five others pulled from the river soon after.

Dahir Kure, a spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto, confirmed that rescue operations are ongoing at the scene. While authorities have yet to provide an official government death toll as they continue to gather information, the disaster adds to a recurring pattern of maritime tragedies in Nigeria.