By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
29 villagers have reportedly died in a boat accident in Niger while 50 others were rescued by local divers.
The accident was said to have occurred on Tuesday at a community called gausawa in Malale area/ward of Borgu local government area of Niger state.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah confirmed the incident in Minna adding that the boat mishap occurred at about 11:30am on September 2, 2025.
He said, “The boat took off from a community called Tugan sule in Shagunu ward with 90 people on board which includes women and children on the boat heading to dugga for condolence visit”.
He attributed the cause of the accident to overloading and collision with a tree stump.
He said, “29 dead bodies have been recovered with 50 persons rescued alive while 2 people are still missing”, adding that search and rescue operations are still on going for possible recovery of missing persons.
