Less than seven months after a devastating boat accident claimed over 200 lives in Gbajibo, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, another tragedy has struck the region. On Thursday evening, 37 traders lost their lives in a boat accident that occurred in the Gbajibo-Mudi community.
According to local sources, the victims had attended a weekly market in Gbajibo-Mudi and were returning to their homes in Niger State when the overloaded boat capsized. The boat, reportedly designed to carry about 100 passengers, was filled beyond capacity. Witnesses say the river’s high water level due to recent rainfall further contributed to the disaster.
Confirming the incident, a former chairman of the Kaiama Local Government, Mahmoud Gbajibo, told reporters on Saturday that 37 bodies were recovered from the river, while several other passengers were rescued by local emergency responders.
“The accident happened around 6 p.m. on Thursday as traders were heading back to their communities,” Gbajibo explained. “It was caused by overloading and worsened by the rising river volume.”
Kaiama Local Government Chairman, Abubakar Abdullahi, and the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, visited the community to console the bereaved families and assess the situation.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the Kwara State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, went unanswered, and the state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, did not respond to messages or phone calls.
This latest incident highlights ongoing safety challenges in river transport across rural communities in Nigeria, prompting renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations.
