The incident took place around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Gbajibo community within the Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.
According to reliable sources, the boat was returning from a Muslim religious festival. As of the latest updates, nine bodies have been recovered.
Abdullahi Baba Arah, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed the incident, noting that the tragedy occurred on the River Niger, upstream of the Jebba Dam.
“The incident happened in the Gbajibo community in Mokwa Local Government Area at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The boat had set off from the Mundi community, carrying nearly 300 passengers, primarily women and children, returning from a Maulid celebration in Gbajibo.
“NSEMA is currently overseeing and coordinating search and rescue efforts in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, the Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and community volunteers.
“To date, nine bodies have been recovered—seven males and two females,” the Director General reported.
He added that, due to the prompt action from local volunteers, over 150 individuals have been rescued alive, with search and rescue operations continuing in hopes of finding additional survivors.
Just last week, the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, revealed that a total of 182 lives had been lost in boat accidents across the state over the past three years.
The breakdown shows that 95 lives were lost in 2022, 68 in 2023, and 19 so far in 2024.
He shared this information during the commemoration of the 2024 World Maritime Day and the distribution of 33 fiberglass boats by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in Minna, Niger State. He emphasized that the procurement and distribution of these boats would greatly reduce the risks associated with water transportation.
