At least 32 people have died after an overloaded boat carrying about 100 passengers capsized on the River Niger in Borgu, Niger State, northern Nigeria. The tragic accident happened on Tuesday morning when the vessel struck a submerged tree stump while en route to a nearby village for a condolence visit.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed that more than 50 passengers were rescued, while eight others remain missing as search operations continue. Abdullahi Baba Ara, NEMA’s state spokesman, said the government has established a team of “water marshals” to regulate boat operators, prevent overloading, and enforce the use of life jackets. However, he suggested that the marshals might not have been on duty when the ill-fated boat departed.
Local leaders at the scene described the devastation, with bodies recovered from the river and the boat removed from the waters. Boat accidents are a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, often linked to poor regulation, unsafe practices, and overloading.
Similar incidents have occurred recently, including a boat mishap in Sokoto State last month where 25 people went missing, and another in December where 54 bodies were recovered from the River Niger after a vessel carrying over 200 passengers sank.
Despite government efforts such as distributing 42,000 life jackets across 12 riverine states and campaigns like “No Life Jacket, No Travel” and “No Night Travelling” compliance remains a challenge. With Niger State being Nigeria’s largest by land mass, water transport is widely used as the fastest and cheapest means of travel, making safety enforcement critical to preventing further disasters.
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