The passengers were on their way to Gbajibo Community for a Maulid celebration when the accident occurred.
Aboat carrying over 300 passengers, mostly women and children, capsized on the night of October 1, 2024, in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.
The passengers were on their way to Gbajibo Community for a Maulid celebration when the accident occurred.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday, stating that rescue efforts are ongoing to find more survivors.
“NSEMA received a report of a boat accident that occurred on the night of October 1, 2024, around 8:30 pm along River Niger, upstream of Jebba Dam, at Gbajibo Community in Mokwa LGA,” Baba-Arah said.
“The boat, which was transporting about 300 passengers, mainly women and children from Mundi Community, was en route to Gbajibo for the Maulid celebration.”
He added that NSEMA, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and community volunteers, is coordinating the search and rescue operations.
“Thanks to the swift response of the local volunteers, over 150 persons have been rescued alive so far,” he stated.
Baba-Arah assured that the search efforts are ongoing and promised to keep the public informed as more survivors are found.