The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that the number of casualties from the recent boat accident in Niger State has risen to 30, with 58 passengers rescued so far.
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday in the Gausawa community, located within Borgu Local Government Area, and has left several families mourning the loss of loved ones.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NEMA disclosed that search and rescue operations are still underway. According to the agency, eyewitnesses at the scene reported that around 90 passengers were on board the ill-fated vessel when disaster struck.
“So far, 58 passengers have been rescued, while over 30 lives have been lost as one additional body was recovered this afternoon. Several other passengers remain unaccounted for, with search and rescue efforts still ongoing,” NEMA confirmed.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accident was caused by the overloading of the vessel, which was further worsened by a collision with a submerged tree stump along the water channel. This combination proved fatal, resulting in the devastating loss of lives.
To strengthen the operation, NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, has instructed the agency’s Minna Operations Office to intensify rescue activities. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) is currently spearheading the response in collaboration with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), local divers, and community volunteers.
Meanwhile, NIWA expressed deep concern over the recurring disregard for safety guidelines on waterways. Olawale Adetola, NIWA’s General Manager of Business Development, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, lamented the rising death toll from water transport accidents across the country.
“Well, let me first express the authorities’ condolences to the people of Niger about this recent boat accident. We are tired of hearing all these fatalities coming through boat accidents,” he said.
Adetola emphasized that the authority has invested efforts in sensitising boat operators and passengers on safety practices. He highlighted that NIWA has consistently distributed life jackets and carried out enlightenment campaigns, yet poor compliance with regulations remains a pressing challenge.
Tuesday’s tragedy adds to a troubling series of recent boat accidents in Nigeria. In August, authorities mounted a search for more than 40 missing persons following a mishap in Sokoto. A year earlier, at least 16 farmers lost their lives when a wooden canoe carrying them across a river to their rice fields capsized in Sokoto State.
Experts continue to link the persistence of such tragedies to poor enforcement of safety standards, overloading of boats, and weak regulation of inland waterways.
What You Should Know
Boat accidents have become a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, with Niger, Sokoto, and other states frequently recording fatalities.
The recent accident in Niger underscores the risks of overloading and the failure to follow safety guidelines.
Agencies such as NEMA and NIWA have repeatedly called for stricter adherence to safety measures, yet incidents remain common, highlighting the urgent need for stronger regulation and public compliance.
