At least 60 people have lost their lives in a boat accident in Borgu LGA of Niger State.
According to Abdullah Arah, director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), the boat was carrying around 90 passengers when it capsized on Tuesday at about 11:30 am near Gausawa in Malale ward.
The vessel, which left Tungan Sule in Malale that morning and was headed for Dugga on a condolence visit, struck a submerged tree stump close to Gausawa community.
Arah said the mishap was the result of overloading. He confirmed 29 deaths, 50 survivors, and two persons still unaccounted for.
Reuters quoted Abdullahi Baba Ara, chair of Borgu LGA, as saying the toll has increased.
“The death toll of the boat incident has risen to 60. Ten people have been found in serious condition and many are still being sought,” Baba Ara said.
Sa’adu Inuwa Muhammad, district head of Shagumi, explained that he arrived at the site shortly after the accident.
“The boat carried more than 100 people. We were able to recover 31 corpses from the river. The boat was also recovered and removed,” he said.
Muhammad further disclosed that four victims were buried on Tuesday according to Islamic rites, adding that most of the casualties were women and children.
This tragedy adds to the series of deadly boat accidents in the state, making it the second major incident on Niger’s waterways since July.
On July 27, 25 people died when a boat transporting traders and goods capsized in Gunu village, Shiroro LGA.
Between September 2024 and July 2025, no fewer than 90 people have died in similar accidents across Shiroro, Mokwa, Katcha, and Lapai LGAs.