On June 12, 2023, a boat capsized and killed more than 100 people on the Niger River in the Patigi District of Kwara State. The incident was reported to have happened at 3 a.m., leaving people unaware of the mishap until dawn, hours later.

Boat mishaps are frequent in Nigeria. In October 2022, Punch Newspapers published a report on similar incidents where a minimum of 701 people lost their lives in 53 boat incidents across Nigeria from January 2020 to October 2022.

Photo to illustrate boat capsize 

The people involved were wedding guests

The incident occurred as the victims, comprising men, women, and children, were returning from a wedding in Egboti, Kwara State.

According to Punch, 61 people who died were from Ebu, 38 were from Gakpan, four were from Kpada, two were from Kuchalu, and one was from Sampi, respectively. 

There’s a possibility that wedding guests use the boat to travel because it’s a cheaper means of transport in the state. Residents shared that after the fuel subsidy removal was announced, they’d mostly considered water a cheaper means of transportation.

However, navigating the Niger River by peddling a boat during the current rainy season in Nigeria is also risky. This is due to the rising water levels, particularly during windy storms that occur on the water.

So far, at least one hundred people have been rescued, but death toll continues to rise 

Okasanmi Ajayi, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police, says 100 people have been rescued. The search and rescue operation is ongoing. Ajayi has also shared with news platforms that the team might record more fatalities, consequently raising the overall death toll.

What’s the state government in Kwara doing about the incident? 

Kwara State Governor Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman has expressed condolences for those who lost their lives due to the incidents and their families.

In a recent statement, the governor also conveyed his sincere sympathies to the affected communities as well as people from other states who are impacted.   

Governor Abdulrasaq also assured that he would closely monitor the ongoing rescue operations in pursuit of potential survivors.

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