A devastating boat accident on Thursday evening has claimed at least 37 lives in the Gbajibo-Mudi community of Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State, reviving painful memories of a similar mass-casualty incident in the region.
The ill-fated vessel, reportedly carrying over 100 passengers, capsized around 6:00 p.m. while en route to a neighboring community in Niger State. Most of the passengers were traders traveling for commercial purposes, according to local sources.
Rescue operations began shortly after the mishap, with Kaiama LGA Chairman Abubakar Abdullahi and the Emir of the community, Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar, on the ground coordinating efforts to recover bodies and assist survivors. While some passengers were rescued alive, many remain unaccounted for.
Eyewitnesses and community leaders attributed the tragedy to overloading, a recurring issue that has plagued water transportation in the region.
“This is heartbreaking. Many of those on board were breadwinners on business trips,” one local official lamented. “We’re tired of losing lives to preventable disasters.”
This latest incident has drawn comparisons to a similar catastrophe that occurred on October 5, 2024, in the same Gbajibo-Mudi village, when a boat overloaded with passengers heading to an Islamic Maulid celebration capsized, claiming over 200 lives. Following that tragedy, the Kwara State government spent N2 million to cover the medical treatment of survivors.
The repeat of such a large-scale loss has sparked renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations and limits on passenger numbers in rural water transport systems.
Authorities have yet to release an official passenger manifest, and the final death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue.
