The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has confirmed that 25 people have died following a boat accident in the Gbajibo community of Mokwa Local Government Area.
On October 1, a boat carrying over 200 passengers to Gbajibo for a Mawlid celebration capsized. In a statement on Wednesday, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, the director-general of NSEMA, said the agency had initially recovered nine bodies, and an additional 16 bodies were found during the latest rescue operation. He noted that the victims included 21 males and 4 females.
The NSEMA DG also said that the search for the remaining 125 missing passengers is ongoing.
“Sixteen corpses have been recovered so far, made up of two females and 14 males,” the statement reads.”
NSEMA is leading the search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, the Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and community volunteers.”
He added, “The rescue efforts continue, as the state mourns the loss of those who perished in the tragic accident.”
