Nigeria: Dozens dead or missing after boat capsizes in river

Published

1 year ago

November 30, 2024

More than 100 passengers, mostly women, are still missing after a boat capsized on the Niger river. The search and rescue operation in ongoing.At least 27 people died on Friday after a boat capsized in the Niger River in central Nigeria.More than 100 others — mostly women — are still missing, authorities said.

Some 200 passengers were taking the boat across the river — which acts as a border between the states of Kogi and Niger — to a food market when it capsized, Ibrahim Audu, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesperson said. None of the passengers were wearing life jackets.

The final toll is likely to increase, Kogi state authorities warned, as local divers were still looking for the missing and no survivor was found 12 hours after the incident.

Overcrowded boat

“It’s not clear what caused the accident,” Sandra Musa, spokesperson of the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency said.

“It could be from turbulence or from the boat hitting a snag. Boat operators don’t usually have life jackets, so none of the bodies recovered had life jackets on,” she said. Musa added that the age of the boat might have played a role.

Local media reported that the boat was overcrowded.

The Niger River reaches a width of more than 600 meters (almost 2,000 feet) in this part of its course. Authorities said rescuers had trouble finding the location of the boat for several hours after the incident occurred.

Authorities struggle to set safety measures

Drownings from overloaded, capsized boats are common in remote parts of Nigeria where there is a lack of good roads for transport.

Hundreds of people have been killed in similar incidents in recent years.

In June 2023, over 100 people diedwhen a boat carrying around 250 people sank in the state of Kwara.

The country’s authorities have tried but struggled to implement safety measures such as the use of life jackets, regular boat maintenance and refraining from onboarding people above capacity.

Chaos As Military Officers Exchange Blows During Tinubu’s Visit To Bayelsa (Videos)

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Personnel of the Nigerian military were seen engaging in a fight during the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Bayelsa on Friday.

In a video spotted on social media, the driver of a Hilux vehicle marked “Naval Police” was seen stepping down from his vehicle and exchanging words with another driver.

After returning to his vehicle, another driver with a rifle approached him and threw a punch at the Naval Police driver, triggering a brawl.

The incident quickly escalated into a free-for-all, with personnel attached to both vehicles exchanging blows, while stunned civilians watched in disbelief.

HRH Ekwueme of Ochia Kingdom Iynched & kiIIed in Imo.

Published

5 days ago

April 11, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Gunmen on Friday night killed the traditional ruler of Ochia, Barr Paulinus Ekwueme, alongside security operatives in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State. The attackers ambushed the monarch at the boundary of Assa and Ochia communities after he returned from a trip abroad earlier in the week.

Some security operatives in his convoy were also shot dead. Eyewitness said the monarch and the security operatives were set ablaze after the killing, adding that the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area had been thrown into mourning.

Hrm lives in America, but some in his town accuse him of acquiring lots of wealth coming from the oil in their land and yet they have no nepa (light) and other amenities, and that this angered the youths of his community to take this step. One said Ms Duruaku wrote, “he ate the youth empowerment meant given to him by shell oil company and ran abroad for years”

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Abuja hotel collapse: Wike orders arrest of owner, to convert land to public use

Published

1 week ago

April 7, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate arrest of the owner of a multi-story hotel that collapsed in Jikwoyi, Abuja last Friday, April 4 and announced that the land would be seized for public use.

LIB had reported that the building crumbled while workers were on site, triggering an emergency response from relevant authorities.

Visiting the site today April 7, Wike said the building was constructed without approval from the FCT Department of Development Control and that all the stop-work notices sent to the builders were ignored by the developer.

Wike confirmed that while there were no fatalities, several people sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. He warned that the outcome could have been far worse.

Announcing the government’s plans for the land, Wike said the FCT Administration will take over the land for public use, noting that those responsible for the illegal construction will face prosecution in accordance with the law.

He added that the local community would be consulted to determine a suitable public-purpose project for the reclaimed site.