A devastating boat accident on the Niger River in northern Nigeria has claimed the lives of over 100 people returning from a wedding celebration. The vessel capsized in the early hours of Monday in Kwara state, near the border with Niger state, according to police and local accounts.
The victims, which included women and children, were guests traveling back from a wedding ceremony held in the village of Egboti, Niger state. They were aboard a boat that tragically overturned on the Niger River, one of Nigeria's major waterways.
One resident, Usman Ibrahim, reported that the boat was overloaded, carrying more than 100 passengers along with their motorcycles, which they planned to retrieve upon reaching their respective villages. The timing of the incident, around 3 a.m., contributed to the high casualty count, as the capsizing went largely unnoticed for several hours.
Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing, with officials and community members working tirelessly to locate and retrieve bodies from the river. Boat accidents are a recurring problem in Nigeria, often linked to the use of substandard vessels and dangerous overloading practices in remote areas where water transport is essential.
