FIVE farmers, comprising four males and one female, are feared dead after a canoe conveying them to their farmland capsized while crossing River Kuji in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger.
Director-General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, disclosed this in Minna on Monday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Baba-Arah said that the incident occurred in the morning of Saturday, Aug. 15, when the victims left Shaba Woshi village for their farmland across the river.
He identified the victims as Yahaya Abubakar, Usman Abubakar, Lamin Hussaini, Baba Ahmadu and Salihu Aliyu, all residents of Shaba Woshi village.
According to him, the victims travelled from the village to Katcha, where they boarded a canoe to cross River Kuji to access their farmland when the canoe capsized.
He said the incident had thrown the community into mourning, adding that efforts were ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and the fate of the victims.
The ICIR reports that Nigeria has recorded several boat and canoe accidents in recent years, with the majority occurring during the rainy season.
The ICIR reported in 2024 that at least 27 people died when a boat capsized on the Niger River.
The boat was carrying about 200 passengers from Kogi State to a food market in the neighbouring Niger State when it capsized.
The tragedy was just one of several cases of boat accidents in the state in recent years.
The ICIR also reported in September 2025 that about 29 people lost their lives in a boat accident in the Malale area of Borgu Local Government Area of the state.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org