At least 29 people have been confirmed dead in a boat accident in the Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. The tragic incident happened around 11:30 a.m. when a boat conveying 90 passengers, including women and children, capsized while heading to the Dugga community for a condolence visit.
The boat reportedly collided with a tree stump after being overloaded.
Confirming the incident, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, said search and rescue operations were still ongoing.
He said, “NSEMA has received a report of a boat mishap incident at Gausawa in the Malale area of Borgu LGA. According to our desk officer who led the search and rescue operations, the boat took off from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward with 90 people on board, including women and children, heading to Dugga for a condolence visit.
“The incident happened yesterday, September 2, 2025, at about 11:30 a.m., and the cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stump. As at the time of filing this report, 29 dead bodies have been recovered, 50 persons rescued alive, while two are still missing.”
The mishap is the second boat accident in Niger State in 2025. The first, which occurred in July, was also blamed on a collision with a tree stump.
The latest tragedy comes despite the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) distributing life jackets in Mokwa after flooding earlier in the year claimed over 200 lives.