On Tuesday evening in Ibaji, Kogi State, a boat with almost 80 people inside capsized on River Niger.
People said it was around 5:40 p.m. when the boat just turned over. Men, women, even children were inside. Everybody was shouting, struggling inside the water. Some divers and villagers rushed to help, dragging people out.
At the end, 24 people survived, 14 bodies were pulled out, but more than 40 are still missing. Families are crying, waiting by the river, praying that maybe their people will still come out alive.
Rescue teams later joined — NEMA, Civil Defence, Red Cross, fire service — but the pain is already too much in the community. Even the traditional ruler of Onugwa was visited to comfort him and his people.
This is not the first time. Boat accidents keep happening here because they overload boats, there are no life jackets, and some boats are not even good. It’s heartbreaking because it could have been avoided.
President Tinubu also reacted. He said the accident was “shocking and unfortunate.” He sent condolences to the families, thanked the rescuers, and begged boat operators to stop putting profit above people’s lives.
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Right now, the whole of Ibaji is mourning. The river is still being searched, families are holding on to little hope, and the cries around the community show how deep the pain is.
