A boat with 22 people on board capsized while traveling between Kasabu village in Agwara local government area of Niger and Yauri in Kebbi.
Alhaji Salihu Garba, the acting director general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), announced the boat capsize to newsmen in Minna on Monday.
He mentioned that the agency was alerted to the boat incident that took place between 11 am and 12 pm on Monday.
As per his account, a survivor stated that there were approximately 22 passengers on board the boat.
He noted that local divers and boat owners, under the oversight of the agency’s designated officer in Agwara, were currently engaged in search and rescue operations.
Regrettably, no passengers have been located thus far. He also pointed out that the incident occurred on Yauri market day.
Garba went on to explain that only after the market concludes will families be able to officially report their missing loved ones.
He clarified that it typically takes around 24 hours for a submerged person to resurface.
He attributed the incident’s cause to a combination of water hyacinth and powerful waves.