Rabiu M. Hamza
Over fifteen bodies have been recovered following a boat mishap that occurred on Saturday in Zumba, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.…
The passenger boat, which was carrying 43 people, 60 bags of paddy rice, three cows, and two rams, departed from Guni in Munya LGA en route to the Zumba weekly market. The boat reportedly struck a tree and capsized.
The Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Akapo Adeboye, told Daily Trust that 15 bodies had been recovered, while three remained missing. He said 26 passengers wearing life jackets were rescued alive.
“The passengers left Shayita Village for Kwata Market in Zumba with goods worth millions of naira. The boat sank on July 26, 2025.
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“A team from the NIWA Niger/Kwara Area Office carried out a search and rescue operation. Eighteen people lost their lives, while 26 survived. A surveillance effort is underway to arrest the boat operator,” he said.
Other sources informed Daily Trust that the boat, with about 40 passengers, departed Guni Community heading to the Zumba riverside market when it struck a tree log and capsized. The incident reportedly occurred around 2 p.m.
Sources, including boat operators and officials of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said most of the victims were women and children.
The Sarkin Ruwa of Zumba, Umar Isah, said 15 people lost their lives and 25 were rescued alive. He also confirmed the loss of three cows and 60 bags of paddy rice.
“Fifteen people died, including a little girl, and their bodies have been recovered. The rescue operation has been slow due to cold weather. The bodies sank in the water. If it were during the hot season, they would have floated, but now we have to dive to retrieve them,” he explained.
“There were 40 passengers on board, along with the goods. We can’t retrieve the boat wreckage until the dry season, when the water level goes down,” he added.
However, the Director General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah, said 13 bodies were recovered and buried on Sunday morning.
He confirmed that the remaining victims were rescued alive, though goods, including the cows and paddy rice, were lost.
Arah said the 13 recovered bodies included eight women, three men, and two children. He noted that women made up about two-thirds of the passengers on board.
Those with life jackets survived – NIWA
The Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for Niger and Kwara States, Mr. Akapo Adeboye, told Daily Trust that all the survivors of the Saturday boat mishap were those wearing life jackets.
He said the incident occurred just eight days after NIWA conducted a sensitisation campaign at the Zumba waterfront, emphasising the importance of safety compliance among boat operators and passengers. The campaign focused on the use of life jackets, passenger manifests, and other safety measures.
According to Adeboye, the rate of boat mishaps in Niger State has dropped significantly over the past year due to sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement of safety regulations at various waterfronts.
He stressed that achieving zero boat mishaps requires strict adherence to safety rules such as wearing life jackets, avoiding night travel, preventing overloading, and using only well-maintained boats.
“With the support of stakeholders, NIWA has continued to monitor the activities of boat operators across the state’s waterfronts, with a zero-tolerance approach toward non-compliance-especially in areas like life jacket usage, night travel, overloading, and faulty boats,” he said.
Adeboye said all passengers might have survived if they had worn life jackets, noting that such protective gear can also save lives during bandit attacks, which are a growing concern in the area.
“This waterfront in Shiroro LGA is unique as it connects several locations, including Kaduna State. We are distributing life jackets and encouraging boat operators and passengers to procure and use them to safeguard lives and property,” he said.
“In Niger State, boat mishaps have reduced significantly. This year, we’ve had only one incident, in the Gbajibo area.
“This success is due to our consistent sensitisation efforts and enforcement, carried out in collaboration with the Civil Defence Corps, Marine Police, and NIWA Marshals.
“So far, 3,700 life jackets have been distributed by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy across waterfronts in Niger State, and more are expected. We won’t tolerate non-compliance with water transport safety regulations,” he added.
Meanwhile, the vice chairman of the Boat Owners and Freshwater Users Association, Niger State, Mr. Dahiru Ango, told Daily Trust that at least nine lives were lost in three separate boat mishaps in Shiroro LGA within the last year.
While he could not provide a full statewide record of boat mishaps offhand, he recalled three specific incidents in Shiroro LGA where boats sank and could not be recovered.
“In the past year, we lost three passenger boats in separate accidents: two lives in one, four in another, and three in the third-all in Shiroro LGA. In each case, the boats sank completely and were never retrieved,” he said.
The Chairman of the Boat Owners and Freshwater Users Association in Shiroro LGA, Mr. Aliyu Isah Yerima, has appealed to the government and NIWA for emergency assistance in clearing tree logs from the waterways.
He noted that submerged tree logs, especially during low water levels, are a major cause of accidents in the area.
“We appreciate what NIWA and other agencies are doing, but we urgently need support in cutting and removing tree logs from the water. Most of the mishaps here are caused by these logs. We need equipment and intervention,” he said.
Yerima also highlighted the insecurity in the area, stating that bandit attacks threaten water transport and disrupt the movement of farm produce from Niger and Kaduna communities to the Zumba market.
He recalled that earlier this year, the Zumba market was shut down for two weeks after a boat operator was attacked and injured by bandits while travelling from Kaduna State.
“The operator was attacked for refusing to comply with the bandits’ demands. He was hospitalised for days, and in protest, fellow operators suspended services for two weeks before we intervened,” Yerima said.
Boat drivers demand more life jackets
Hassan Abubakar, a boat operator, told Daily Trust that life jackets donated by NIWA and other agencies are insufficient.
Abubakar, who has been operating for 27 years, recounted surviving a previous mishap in which his boat capsized. He was not carrying passengers at the time.
“I only have two life jackets-one for myself and one for my assistant. When carrying 50 passengers, how do I decide who gets one? NIWA gave us a few jackets and promised more, but we haven’t received them,” he said.
The Chairman of Boat Operators at the Zumba Waterfront, Mallam Saleh, said that at least 10 mishaps have occurred in Shiroro LGA in the past three years.
According to him, over 80 boats with a 50-passenger capacity operate on Saturdays, bringing goods and traders to the Zumba market.
“Traders transport firewood, livestock, maize, beans, rice, soybeans, and other produce via boats. In the last three years, we’ve had about 10 mishaps. Only one has occurred this year, but lives and goods worth millions of naira were lost. Most of the wrecked boats were never recovered,” he said.
Previous incidents in Niger
The most recent boat tragedy before this latest one occurred on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at Sokun Village in Lapai LGA.
Daily Trust learned that an unspecified number of traders lost their lives when their boat capsized in the River Niger.
The victims had departed Bugge village in Kogi State with over 200 bags of paddy rice and were headed to Sokun when their boat encountered strong winds and capsized.
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