At least 20 persons have lost their lives after a boat capsized in Borgu Local Government Area Niger State.
Abdullah Arah, the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) in a statement, said the boat was conveying about 90 passengers when it capsized on Tuesday at about 11:30 am at Gausawa in Malale ward.
Arah said the vessel had taken off from Tungan Sule in Shagunu ward and was heading to Dugga community for a condolence visit when it reportedly collided with a tree stump.
The NSEMA DG noted that the capsize was caused by overloading, adding that 50 people were rescued while two remain missing.
“As of the time of this report, 29 bodies have been recovered. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing to recover the missing persons,” the statement reads.
The incident adds to a string of fatal boat accidents in the state, marking the second major mishap on its waterways since July.
On July 27, 25 people lost their lives after a boat conveying traders and goods capsized in Gunu village, Shiroro LGA of the state.
Between September 2024 and July 2025, no fewer than 90 people lost their lives in similar mishaps across Shiroro, Mokwa, Katcha and Lapai LGAs.
Poor regulation, overloading remain recurring causes of the disasters in riverine communities that rely on boats as their main means of transport.
