About one month after a tragic maritime mishap in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger, a devastating boat accident has occurred in the early hours of Friday along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of River Niger, resulting in the loss of multiple lives.
Eyewitnesses said the boat, which belonged to one Musa Dangana, was carrying over 200 passengers, including market women and farm labourers, en route to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State.
The boat was said to have capsized, throwing all on board into the water.
Rescue efforts are underway with local divers working to recover the bodies of the victims.
Reports say eight bodies had so far been recovered, while search and rescue operations continue to locate the remaining passengers.
This tragic incident comes just months after a similar one occurred on the Muwo Gbajibo River in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State on October 1, 2024, resulting in the loss of many lives.
Preliminary reports indicate that none of the passengers was wearing life jacket at the time of the accident which may have contributed to the high number of casualties.
The authorities have yet to release an official statement about the most recent incident, but an investigation is expected to be launched to determine the cause of the accident.
Nigeria has recorded several boat accidents in the last year, leading to several deaths. Alarmed at the frequency of accidents in the industry, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in liaison with the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, had planned to replace wooden boats nationwide as they constitute over 90% of boats in the waterways therefore account for the majority of accidents on waterways.
Last week, five persons died and others were wounded when a boat accident occurred in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The tragic incident involved a collision between two speedboats conveying family members returning from a burial ceremony.
The collision caused the boats to capsize, plunging passengers, who were mostly without life jackets, into the water.
In September 2023, a similar incident happened in Niger State when a boat ferrying over 50 passengers capsized.
About 24 persons who were on their way to the farm for harvest died in the incident.
Nigeria’s waterways authority has tried in the past to prohibit night-time travel on rivers and says overloading vessels is a crime, but crews often break regulations.
