Eight bodies have been recovered while nine persons remain missing following a boat accident in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening at Malamawar-Yan Dutse, involved a locally made boat carrying about 40 passengers, most of them female farmers and labourers, across a waterway.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Shi’isu Adam, said on Monday that 23 passengers were rescued alive, while search efforts were ongoing to locate the remaining victims.
“At the moment, we have successfully rescued 23 victims alive. Unfortunately, we have also recovered eight corpses from the river,” Adam said.
He explained that local divers, emergency responders and security personnel had been working since the incident to rescue survivors and recover bodies from the river.
According to him, all those rescued received medical attention and have since been discharged.
“Those rescued are now safe at their homes, as they have already been discharged to reunite with their families,” he said.
Adam disclosed that the survivors include men, women and children, adding that authorities were making every effort to account for the remaining passengers.
“The victims comprise men, women and children. We are glad that 23 lives were saved, and they are now safely in their homes,” he added.
The police spokesperson said nine people were still unaccounted for as of Monday evening, noting that search operations would resume on Tuesday.
“We are not relenting. Our teams are combing the river and adjoining communities to ensure we find the remaining nine missing persons,” Adam said.
He appealed to residents of riverine communities to support rescue efforts by providing useful information that could assist emergency teams.
Adam also urged boat operators to prioritise safety by avoiding overloading and ensuring that passengers wear life jackets before embarking on water journeys.
“Once again, we urge boat operators to avoid overloading and ensure passengers wear life jackets before embarking on any journey,” he said.
Boat accidents remain a recurring challenge in several riverine communities across northern Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season, with overloading, poor safety practices and strong water currents often identified as major contributing factors.
