A devastating boat accident in Niger State has left 150 individuals feared dead after a vessel carrying 300 passengers capsized on the River Niger. This tragic event unfolded around 8:30 PM on Tuesday in the Gbajibo community of Mokwa Local Government Area while the boat was returning from a Muslim festival. Currently, authorities have recovered nine bodies.

Abdullahi Baba Arah, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed that the incident occurred upstream of the Jebba Dam. He noted, “The boat was sailing from the Mundi community with nearly 300 passengers, primarily women and children, who were returning from a Maulid celebration in Gbajibo.”

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NSEMA is actively leading search and rescue operations, collaborating with the State Ministry of Transport, local emergency committees, divers, and dedicated community volunteers. So far, nine bodies—seven male and two female—have been retrieved, while local volunteers have successfully rescued over 150 individuals. Search efforts are ongoing in hopes of finding more survivors.

In a recent statement, Deputy Governor Comrade Yakubu Garba revealed that boat accidents in the state have resulted in 182 fatalities over the past three years, with 95 deaths in 2022, 68 in 2023, and 19 this year. He shared this information during the 2024 World Maritime Day celebration in Minna, where he also announced the distribution of 33 fibreglass boats by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), emphasizing their potential to improve safety in water transportation.