A tragic boat accident claimed 27 lives on Tuesday at Gausawa, along the Malale–Kainji Lake route in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Eyewitnesses said the mishap occurred around 11:49 a.m., while the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) rescue team arrived at the scene at about 1:33 p.m.
The wooden boat, which carried 138 passengers, capsized along the Shagunu–Dunga axis of Kainji Lake. NIWA-led rescue operations saved 46 men, 58 women, and several children with the aid of life jackets.
Rescuers have so far recovered 27 bodies — eight on Monday and 19 on Tuesday.
“The wooden boat sank but has since been removed, while rescue efforts are still underway,” said Akapo Adeboye, Manager of NIWA Niger–Kwara Area Office.
The NIWA New Bussa Substation coordinated the operation with support from NIWA River Marshalls, the Nigerian Shipowners Forum on Waterways (NIGSBOFWA), security agencies, and community leaders. The collaboration has strengthened measures to ensure passenger safety and prevent further tragedies.
Community leaders and boat operators have pledged to support NIWA in sustaining water safety efforts.
This latest incident adds to the rising toll of boat accidents in Nigeria. In August, more than 40 passengers went missing after a market-bound boat capsized in Sokoto. The same month, at least 16 farmers died when their canoe overturned en route to rice fields, while six girls drowned in Jigawa State on July 29. Two days earlier, 13 people lost their lives in another Niger State accident.