RIVER NIGER TRAGEDY: 20 DEAD, DOZENS MISSING IN DEVASTATING KOGI BOAT ACCIDENT

A dark cloud descended on Kogi State Tuesday evening as a fully loaded passenger boat capsized on the River Niger, leaving at least 20 people confirmed dead and dozens more feared drowned.

The fatal mishap occurred around 4:30 p.m. in Ibaji Local Government Area when the vessel, heavily packed with market-bound passengers, lost balance midway through its journey from Onugwa community to Ilushi market.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror as desperate cries for help echoed across the waters. James Otoga, one of the few who watched helplessly from the riverbank, painted a grim picture of the disaster.

> “The boat was fully loaded with our people going to the market for the October 1st celebration. Only five survivors have surfaced yet, 20 bodies have been recovered, and many more are still lying lifeless beneath the River Niger,” Otoga said in anguish.

He revealed that among the victims were mourners returning from a burial ceremony in Onugwa. “Even those who came for a burial and were returning to Ilushi are missing. We still don’t know the total number of passengers on board,” he added.

Confirming the tragedy, the Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area, Ugeh Emmanuel, said the accident was the most devastating in the council’s history. Speaking to journalists by telephone, Emmanuel admitted that the actual scale of the calamity remained uncertain.

> “Nobody can yet authoritatively state the number of casualties. The boat had not even reached Ilushi when the accident happened. Many were heading to celebrate October 1st—a long-standing tradition in the community—before their journey was cut short by this tragedy,” he said with a heavy heart.

As rescue efforts continue, grief-stricken families wait anxiously by the riverbanks, clinging to hope that their loved ones might still be found alive.

The Kogi boat disaster adds to Nigeria’s growing list of inland water tragedies, renewing urgent calls for stricter safety regulations, better-equipped rescue operations, and modern passenger ferries to prevent needless loss of lives on the nation’s waterways.