Rescue teams have recovered 20 additional bodies following the tragic boat accident in Niger State. Learn more about the ongoing recovery efforts.
Local divers, working with the Niger State Disaster Management Authority (NSEMA) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NEMA), have recovered 20 more bodies after a boat carrying Mawlid festival participants capsized in Gbajibo, Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State.
The Niger State Civil Protection Agency reported that the death toll has risen to 36.
The boat, carrying about 300 passengers, capsized on Tuesday evening at about 8pm shortly after leaving Mundi city. The incident occurred just before the boat was due to reach its destination.
The Director-General of the Niger State Disaster Management Authority, Abdullahi Ala, confirmed on Wednesday that 16 bodies had initially been recovered, including two women and 14 men. The victims were buried in Gbajibo community.
“Twenty more bodies were recovered on Thursday by local divers in collaboration with NSEMA and NEMA authorities, bringing the confirmed death toll to 36,” Ala said, noting that search and rescue operations were still ongoing.
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Relatives share grief
Some relatives of the victims of the tragedy are sharing their grief. Although the incident occurred in Niger State, many of the victims were from Gbajibo community in Kwara State, a few hours away from Kaiama.
A local resident, Mahmoud Gbajibo, said the incident was devastating. He revealed that he lost seven family members, including two married nieces, three nephews and two brothers who attended the delayed naming ceremony.
“Many of us could not contain our emotions when we saw our loved ones dead,” Gbajibo said. “After the incident, our women walked around the community naked. Now nothing is happening here. No shops are open, no one cooks.”
He also noted that the deputy chief imam, who was representing the imam at the ceremony, and his three children were among the dead.
Gbajibo also noted that the tragedy could have been averted if the community had used more motorbikes instead of boats. “Please provide motorbikes,” he said.
Another relative, Haron Yohana, said he had been praying for the family’s safe journey but never expected it would be the last. “I lost three nieces, my father and my brother,” he lamented. “We just need to control our emotions and do what we have to do.”
Another community member said the boat broke in two because it was overloaded. Most of the victims were fathers and husbands, leaving more than 100 families without a breadwinner.
