By Cynthia Johnson
Approximately twenty-two individuals are currently unaccounted for following a tragic boat capsizing incident that occurred on Monday.
The incident took place during a journey from Kasabu village in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri, Kebbi State.
According to Salihu Garba, the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, the agency received a distress report about the accident sometime between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.
A survivor of the incident recounted that the ill-fated boat had been carrying approximately twenty-two passengers.
Tragically, due to the timing of the incident coinciding with Yauri market day, families are still unable to officially report their missing loved ones. The market day’s activities have made it challenging to determine the fate of those who were aboard the boat.
Currently, local divers and boat owners, with supervision from the agency’s desk officer in Agwara, are actively engaged in search and rescue operations. Regrettably, as of now, no passengers have been successfully located and recovered. Efforts continue to be focused on locating and assisting the missing individuals.