By MARY RONKE, Minna –
Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has reported that 13 bodies have been recovered and 26 individuals were rescued following a recent boat accident in Gini village, Shiroro Local Government Area.
In a statement released on Sunday in Minna, NSEMA Director-General Alhaji Abdullahi Arah provided details of the incident, which occurred around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday near Kwata as the boat was traveling to Zumba market.
According to NSEMA, the boat, carrying both goods and passengers, capsized en route to the weekly market. “We have accounted for 39 people, with 13 bodies recovered and 26 rescued,” Arah stated. The deceased, including eight women, three men, and two children, have been buried.
NSEMA’s Director of Information and Special Duties, Dr. Ibrahim Hussaini, earlier confirmed that the boat’s driver and several passengers were among those rescued. One survivor received treatment at General Hospital Kuta and has since been discharged.
The Niger State Government, in collaboration with NSEMA, the National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has distributed life jackets to riverine communities to enhance safety.
