Illustration of a boat that capsized
By Victory Oghene
Death toll has risen to 50 in the tragic boat accident that occurred in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
On account of this sad development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Kogi State over the incident.
He described the incident as “shocking and unfortunate,” especially given that the victims were pursuing their legitimate means of livelihood.
The President’s message, conveyed by Bayo Onanuga, his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, commended the efforts of first responders at the incident scene while urging federal, state, and local emergency services to intensify rescue and relief operations.
He also tasked Water transport operators to always prioritise safety over profit, warning that continued negligence poses unacceptable risks to the lives of Nigerian citizens.
Offering prayers for the souls of the departed and wishing the injured speedy recovery, President Tinubu reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to improved safety on the country’s waterways going forward.
Available reports indicated that the ill-fated boat was overloaded with traders and other passengers travelling from Onugwa community in Ibaji to the Ilushi market in neighbouring Edo State.
According to eyewitnesses’ account, the vessel reportedly capsized around 4:30pm, throwing its occupants into the raging River Niger waves.
Though information is still sketchy about how the tragic incident occurred, there are suggestions that the safety measures in place were inadequate as has been the case in recent cases of boat mishap.
One of the local sources, a farmer identified as James Otoga, said only five survivors have been accounted for so far, with over 20 bodies already recovered.
Highlighting the tragic scale of the incident that he described as “extremely distressing”, Otoga said, “Even those who came for a burial in Onugwa and were returning to Ilushi are still missing.”
Reacting to the mishap, Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area, Ugeh Emmanuel, described the incident as the worst in the history of the area.
He said, “We cannot authoritatively confirm the total number of casualties at this time,” adding that efforts are ongoing to determine the number of passengers who were onboard.
