The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that at least 30 people died in a boat accident that occurred in the Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to a statement released on Thursday by NEMA’s Head of Press Unit, Manzo Ezekiel, the mishap happened on September 2, 2025, when a boat carrying about 90 passengers capsized along a water channel in Gausawa.
Ezekiel disclosed that 58 passengers had so far been rescued, while one additional body was recovered during ongoing operations, bringing the death toll to over 30. Several passengers remain missing as rescue efforts continue.
The agency attributed the incident to overloading, compounded by a collision with a tree stump in the water.
NEMA said its Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, had directed the agency’s Minna Operations Office to intensify search and rescue activities in collaboration with the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, the National Inland Waterways Authority, the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, the Nigerian Red Cross, local divers, and community volunteers.
Boat accidents remain a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, particularly in riverine and rural communities where water transport is a major means of travel. Many of these incidents are linked to poor enforcement of safety regulations, overloading, the use of unsafe vessels, and the lack of life-saving equipment.
Over the years, hundreds of lives have been lost to such mishaps across Niger State and other parts of the country, underscoring the urgent need for stricter safety measures, improved monitoring of waterways, and increased public awareness on safe boating practices.
