As Nigerians prepared to celebrate the 64th Independence anniversary, the sleepy Gbajibo community in Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State, was plunged into mourning.
A wooden boat conveying over 300 people, mainly women and children from Mundi Local Government Area in Kwara State to Mokwa LGA, for the Malud celebration, capsized.
While 150 passengers managed to escape, 42 bodies have been recovered through search and rescue operations carried out by emergency responders, while 108 individuals are still missing.
The cause of the accident remains unclear, however, a source in the Niger State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, who pleaded anonymity as he was not allowed to comment on the incident, attributed it to the overloading.
He claimed the passengers disregarded safety warnings, saying, “This was a truly avoidable accident—300 people on a wooden boat. They had been warned about the dangers of overloading boats and travelling with them. How can anyone claim this wasn’t due to overloading? None of the passengers wore life jackets, despite repeated government warnings. It’s just tragic.”
Following the incident, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency released a statement confirming that 150 people had been rescued, while another 150 remained missing.
The Director General of the agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing to recover more victims.
Baba-Arah confirmed that the majority of the passengers were women and children travelling from the Mundi Community in Kwara to Gbajibo for the Maulud celebration.
He said, “NSEMA has received a report of a boat mishap that occurred last night, 1st October 2024, around 8.30 pm, on River Niger upstream Jebba dam, at Gbajibo Community in Mokwa LGA. The boat was sailing from Mundi Community with almost 300 passengers.
“NSEMA is coordinating search and rescue operations in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, brave local divers, and community volunteers. Thanks to the prompt response from community volunteers, over 150 individuals have been rescued alive so far. The search and rescue operation is ongoing, and the public will receive updates as the situation develops.”
In an initial update on the recovery efforts, Baba-Arah disclosed that nine bodies were retrieved, including two females and seven males.
The agency later announced the recovery of an additional 16 bodies from the river in Gbajibo, comprising two females and 14 males.
Subsequently, another 16 bodies were recovered, bringing the total number of recovered victims to 42 at the time of this report.
NSEMA assured the public that search and rescue operations are ongoing and regular updates will be provided.
However, some residents of Niger State have expressed doubts about the agency’s ability to locate additional victims.
Sadiq Bello, an official from one of the state ministries, told Saturday PUNCH that the state government needs to implement and enforce policies to prevent avoidable deaths during water travel.
He said, “I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but I only hope there are no dangerous fish and reptiles, such as sharks and crocodiles in the river.”
He feared that many victims’ remains could be consumed by aquatic life, leaving the rescue team with little to recover.
“Boat mishaps in Niger State have become a recurring decimal, happening every year, sometimes multiple times, with the same stories of overloaded boats, submerged trees, or turbulent waters.”
Bello insisted that the government must prohibit the use of wooden boats and strictly regulate the number of passengers allowed on board.
He also advocated for mandatory life jackets for all water travellers, noting that such measures would significantly reduce casualties in future incidents.
“Why should a wooden boat carry 300 people at once? Were they out to commit suicide?”
He noted that most of the boat’s occupants were residents of Kwara State travelling to Niger State to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed.
While acknowledging the significance of the celebration, he questioned the choice of transport and urged the government to address the underlying issues that lead to such tragedies.
Based on reports, Niger State is fast becoming synonymous with mass fatalities and burials.
In September, 59 people were reportedly burnt to death following a head-on collision between a petrol tanker and a trailer carrying passengers and 50 cattle in Lapai-Agaie Local Government Area.
Baba-Arah confirmed that 48 of the passengers, whose bodies were burnt beyond recognition, were given a mass burial in the local government.
“NSEMA has received a report of a deadly tanker explosion that occurred on Sunday, 8th September 2024, at about 12.30 am along Lapai-Agaie, 2km from Dendo Community in Agaie LGA. The incident occurred when a petrol tanker loaded with PMS collided with a trailer truck loaded with travellers and cattle from Wudil in Kano State heading to Lagos; two other vehicles, a crane truck and a pickup van, were also caught in the incident,” the agency stated.
