The Niger State Emergency Management Agency has recovered at total of 25 bodies from the tragic boat accident that occurred in Gbajibo, Niger State.
NSEMA Director-General, Abdullahi Baba Arah, shared the update on Wednesday, stating that the newly recovered 16 bodies include two females and 14 males. Earlier, nine bodies were found—comprising two females and seven males.
The accident involved a boat carrying 300 passengers from the Mundi Community. They were on their way to Gbajibo for a Maulid celebration when the boat capsized. While 150 passengers were rescued immediately, another 150 were declared missing.
“Sixteen corpses have been recovered so far, made up of two females and 14 males,” Arah said. He added that rescue efforts are still ongoing to locate more of the missing passengers.
According to Arah, the boat was overloaded with women and children, which contributed to the tragedy. NSEMA is working with the State Ministry of Transport, the Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and community volunteers in the ongoing search-and-rescue mission.
