Niger boat mishap death toll hits 30

The Niger Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) says the death toll from Sunday’s boat mishap in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 30 from 24.

The NSEMA Acting Director-General, Garba Salihu, made this known in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Monday, September 11, 2023.

Salihu said the agency has so far rescued 30 persons in Gbajibo area where the incident occurred.

He said: ”Yesterday (Sunday), We recovered 24 corpses, but that same day it later increased to 26 dead bodies.

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”Today, we recovered four more corpses, making 30 in all.”

The acting DG stated that 27 of the deceased were women, while three were male children.

Salihu dispelled the rumour making the rounds that 100 passengers boarded the ill-fated boat, saying: “For now, nobody knows the number of passengers on that boat.

“Many people entered the boat, so knowing the actual number of passengers on board will be difficult.”

Salihu said the agency had stopped searching for the victims of the boat mishap, pending when the need arose.

The victims were from Gbajibo, Ekwa and Yankyade communities who were on their way to their farms at the other side of River Niger (old Gbajibo) when the incident occurred.

The Star