29 Dead, Dozens Rescued After Overloaded Boat Capsizes in Niger State
29 Dead, Dozens Rescued After Overloaded Boat Capsizes in Niger State
At least 29 passengers have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying about 90 people capsized on Tuesday morning in Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The victims — mostly women and children — were traveling for a condolence visit when the boat, already overloaded, struck a tree stump in the water and capsized around 11:30am.
Eyewitness Accounts
Eyewitnesses described the tragedy as instant and preventable.
“The boat was clearly overloaded. Once it hit the stump, it went down immediately,” one resident told reporters.
Another source noted that none of the passengers wore life jackets, a factor that worsened the death toll.
“If they had been wearing life jackets, many more would have survived. Unfortunately, people here often refuse to use them,” the source lamented.
Rescue Efforts
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the incident.
According to NSEMA’s Director General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, a rescue team was immediately deployed.
He said:
29 bodies have so far been recovered.
50 passengers were rescued alive.
2 people remain missing.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
The boat had reportedly departed from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward and was headed to Dugga community.
Recurring Tragedy
This marks the second major boat accident in Niger State in 2025. The first, in July, was also linked to a collision with a tree stump.
The latest disaster comes despite previous interventions. The National Inland Waterway Agency (NIWA) had distributed life jackets in Mokwa earlier this year, following a separate flood-related boat tragedy that claimed over 200 lives.
By Haruna Yakubu Haruna
