Niger boat mishap: 20 more bodies recovered as victims’ families share grief

Twenty additional bodies were recovered on Thursday from the site of a tragic boat accident that occurred on Tuesday in Niger State.

The wooden boat, carrying approximately 300 passengers from Kwara State to an event in Niger State, capsized at Gbajibo in Mokwa Local Government Area.

Local divers, along with officials from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have been conducting the recovery operation.

The Director-General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed that the total number of recovered bodies has now reached 36, with 16 bodies — 14 males and 2 females — having been retrieved and buried on Wednesday. An additional 20 bodies were recovered on Thursday.

Baba-Arah stated that the search and rescue mission is ongoing, as more passengers remain unaccounted for.

Many of the victims hailed from Kwara State, particularly from Kaiama Local Government Area. Community members and relatives shared the emotional toll of the disaster.

Mahmud Gbajibo, a resident of the Gbajibo community, recounted the loss of seven family members.

“I lost two married nieces, three nephews, and two younger brothers who came for a naming ceremony,” he said. “We had to bury them on the Niger State side to avoid chaos back home in Kwara.

“Our women were devastated, running around in grief. The entire community has been paralyzed by this tragedy — no shops are open, and no one is cooking.”

Gbajibo also revealed that the community had requested motorcycles to prevent future tragedies.

“Many victims would not have taken the boat if we had motorcycles. We need better transportation to avoid overloading boats,” he stated.

Haron Yohana, who lost five family members, shared his grief. “I lost my father, brother, and three nieces. I said goodbye to them, not knowing it was the last time. The tragedy happened in the night, unnoticed until another boat passed through the area.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed his condolences to the people of Niger State and the families of the victims.

In a statement from his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President prayed for the souls of the deceased and called for an investigation into the frequency of boat accidents in the region.

Niger boat mishap: 20 more bodies recovered as victims’ families share grief