By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

Minna – Tragedy struck in Niger State as a boat carrying 300 passengers capsized, with 150 feared dead.

The incident occurred around 8:30 pm on Tuesday in the Gbajibo community, Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the boat was returning from a Muslim religious festival.

As of the time of going to press, nine bodies had been recovered.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed the incident, stating that the tragedy took place on the River Niger upstream of the Jebba Dam.

“The incident occurred in the Gbajibo community in Mokwa Local Government Area at around 8:30 pm on Tuesday. The boat was sailing from the Mundi community with almost 300 passengers, mostly women and children, who were returning from a Maulid celebration in Gbajibo.

“NSEMA is currently directing and monitoring search and rescue operations in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and other community volunteers.

“Nine bodies have been recovered so far—seven male and two female,” the Director General reported.

He added that, thanks to the swift response from local volunteers, over 150 people had been rescued alive so far, with search and rescue operations ongoing to find more survivors.

Just last week, the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, revealed that 182 people had lost their lives in boat accidents across the state over the past three years.

A breakdown shows that 95 lives were lost in 2022, 68 in 2023, and 19 so far in 2024.

He disclosed this during the 2024 World Maritime Day commemoration and the distribution of 33 fibreglass boats by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in Minna, Niger State.

He noted that the procurement and distribution of the boats would significantly help reduce the risks associated with water transportation.