At least 29 people have been confirmed dead in a boat mishap at the Malale riverfront in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The ill-fated boat, which had about 90 passengers on board, departed Tugan Sule in Shagunu Ward and was heading to Dugga for a condolence visit when the accident occurred on Tuesday morning.
Eyewitnesses said the victims included women and children. So far, 29 bodies have been recovered, 50 passengers rescued alive, while two remain unaccounted for.
Confirming the incident, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, said preliminary findings showed the boat was overloaded and struck a tree stump, leading to the mishap.
“NSEMA received a report of a boat mishap at Gausawa in Malale Ward of Borgu LGA. The boat took off from Tugan Sule in Shagunu Ward with 90 people on board, including women and children, on their way to Dugga for a condolence visit.
The incident happened on September 2, 2025, at about 11:30am. The cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stump. So far, 29 bodies have been recovered, 50 rescued alive, while two remain missing. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing,” he said.
The Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Akapo Adeboye, also confirmed the incident to journalists.
The tragedy adds to a series of recurring boat accidents in Nigeria’s riverine communities, where poor safety measures, overloading, and hidden obstacles in waterways continue to claim lives.
(Daily Trust)