Twenty-two people are still missing after another tragic boat accident in Niger State. Reports from Naija News indicate that the boat, traveling from Kasabu village in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri, Kebbi State, capsized on Monday morning around 11 am.

Salihu Garba, the Director-General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed the incident in Minna, the state capital. Garba stated that the agency received information about the boat mishap that occurred between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. According to a survivor, the boat had approximately 22 passengers on board.

Search and rescue operations are currently underway, conducted by local divers and boat owners supervised by the agency’s desk officer in Agwara. As of the latest report, no passengers have been recovered. The incident occurred on Yauri market day, and families are expected to declare their missing relatives only after the market, as it typically takes about 24 hours for drowned persons to surface.

Garba attributed the cause of the mishap to water hyacinth and strong waves. This unfortunate event follows another boat incident in Gbajibo, a community in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, where twenty-four people lost their lives. The victims were local farmers from Gbajibo, Ekwa, and Yankeiade, and the mishap occurred on September 10.