Twenty-seven people have been confirmed dead in a tragic boat mishap that occurred on Tuesday, at Gausawa, along the Malale–Kainji Lake route in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to eyewitnesses, the wooden boat carrying 138 passengers capsized along the Shagunu-Dunga axis on Kainji Lake around 11:49 a.m.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) rescue team arrived at the scene at about 1:33 p.m. and launched a rescue operation.
The rescue operations, led by NIWA, revealed that 46 men, 58 women, and an undisclosed number of children were saved with the aid of life jackets.
Sadly, 27 bodies have been recovered so far, with eight recovered on Monday and 19 on Tuesday.
The NIWA Manager of Niger-Kwara Area office, Akapo Adeboye, confirmed that the wooden boat sank but has since been removed, while rescue efforts were still ongoing.
The cause of the accident is believed to be overloading and collision with a tree stump.
Community leaders and boat operators in the area have pledged their support to NIWA in sustaining water safety measures.
This incident adds to the growing number of boat accidents in Nigeria.
Recently over 40 persons were missing after a boat accident in Sokoto, with 10 persons rescued.
A boat accident also claimed 27 lives in Kwara and at least 16 farmers died in a similar accident in Sokoto state when a wooden canoe capsized.
Six girls also drowned after a boat taking them home from farm work capsized midstream in northwestern Jigawa State, while
at least 13 persons died in another boat accident in central Niger State two days before the Jigawa incident.
Meanwhile, (NIWA) has commended the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) for its swift intervention.
According to NIWA, the prompt rescue efforts led to the survival of at least 50 passengers who were onboard the ill-fated wooden boat.
NIWA’s Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Suleiman Makama, stated that the authority has intensified efforts to trace and interrogate the boat operator as part of ongoing investigations.
NIWA cautioned boat operators against overloading, stressing that strict adherence to safety guidelines and capacity limits remains crucial to preventing accidents on the waterways.
