At least 32 people have died after a boat capsized on the River Niger in Niger State’s Borgu area.
The boat, carrying about 100 passengers, struck a submerged tree stump on Tuesday morning. Many victims were women and children.
They were travelling to a nearby village to pay condolences to a bereaved family when the tragedy struck.
Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the state, Abdullahi Baba Ara, said more than 50 people were rescued, while eight remain missing.
He told BBC Hausa that “the government had set up a team of water marshals to stop boat operators from overloading their vessels and ensure passengers wear life jackets.”
But he admitted: “Perhaps the water marshals were not on duty when this boat took off.”
Witness Account and Rising Death Toll
Local district head Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad told Reuters he was at the scene.
“I was at the scene yesterday around 12 pm until 4 pm. The boat carried more than 100 people. We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed,” he said.
Boat accidents remain common in Nigeria, often linked to overloading, poor enforcement, and weak safety measures.
Just last month, 25 people went missing after another boat mishap in Sokoto State.
In December 2023, 54 bodies were pulled from the River Niger when a vessel carrying over 200 passengers capsized.
Despite government directives that all water travellers must wear life jackets, the rule is rarely enforced.
This year, the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy launched fresh safety measures. Minister Adegboyega Oyetola inaugurated a “Special Committee on the Prevention of Boat Mishaps” in February.
In May, the ministry announced it would distribute 42,000 life jackets across 12 riverine states.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) also began the “No Life Jacket, No Travel” campaign, along with a ban on night travel in high-risk zones.
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