15 die as boat capsizes in Kebbi
The Evangelist
January 6, 2023
At least 15 people were confirmed killed in a boat mishap in Koko Besi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The local government chairman, Yahaya Bello, told BBC Hausa Service that rescue workers recovered the 15 corpses between Wednesday and Thursday.
He said about 80 people were rescued from the accident. He said the victims were returning from the farm when the overloaded boat broke into two.
Residents said rescue workers are still searching for missing persons as of Thursday morning.
Boat mishap is common across Nigeria’s north-west region mainly due to overloading. River transportation is largely unregulated in the region, leaving operators to load their boats beyond their capacity. They also rarely provide lifejackets to commuters.
In May 2021, a boat capsized in Ngaski Local Government killing over 100 people mostly women and children.
In that incident, about 160 people were travelling from Niger State to the neighbouring Wara community in Nagasaki Local Government Area of Kebbi State before their boat capsized.
