Many Nigerians are believed to have lost their lives after a rubber boat transporting migrants overturned off the Libyan coast, with no fewer than 53 people confirmed dead or unaccounted for.
The incident was made public by the International Organisation for Migration through a statement published on its website on Monday.
According to the organisation, the boat was carrying 55 migrants and refugees from different African countries when it capsized north of Zuwara, Libya, on Friday.
The IOM disclosed that just two Nigerian women were saved during a search-and-rescue mission carried out by Libyan authorities.
The agency noted that one of the rescued women said her husband died in the incident, while the other revealed that she lost her two infants when the vessel capsized.
“IOM mourns the loss of life in yet another deadly incident along the Central Mediterranean route,” the organisation stated, adding that its teams worked with relevant authorities to deliver emergency medical care to the survivors after they disembarked.
Accounts from survivors indicated that the boat left Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11:00 p.m. on February 5. About six hours into the trip, the vessel reportedly began to take in water before eventually capsizing.
Data from the IOM show that at least 375 migrants were recorded as dead or missing in January alone, following multiple “invisible” shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean, many of which were not documented due to harsh weather conditions.
Figures from the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project reveal that more than 1,300 migrants have disappeared along the Central Mediterranean route in 2025.
With the most recent incident, the number of migrants reported dead or missing on the route in 2026 has risen to at least 484.
The organisation cautioned that migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks continue to take advantage of vulnerable people, forcing them into perilous journeys in unsafe boats and exposing them to serious abuse and protection risks.
It emphasised the pressing need for enhanced international collaboration, protection-oriented measures, and the establishment of safe and regular migration channels to tackle trafficking, minimise dangers, and save lives.