At least five missing people were feared dead after a canoe overturned while crossing the River Kuji in Nigeria’s central state of Niger over the weekend, an official said Monday.
Abdullahi Baba-Arah, director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told reporters that the victims were traveling to their farmlands across the river when the incident occurred in the Katcha Local Government Area on Saturday.
The official said efforts to recover their bodies had been unsuccessful, leaving the Shaba Woshi community, where the victims were from, in mourning.
According to him, residents of the community are predominantly farmers who often travel by canoe across the River Kuji to reach their farmlands in Katcha.
He added that an investigation had been launched into the incident.
Boat accidents are common in Nigeria and are often attributed to overloading, adverse weather conditions, and operational errors. Enditem
Source: Xinhua
