Several passengers, mostly traders, have died in a boat mishap along the River Niger in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.
Although details of the incident remain sketchy, it gathered that the mishap occurred on Wednesday night at Sokun Village in Lapai LGA.
Eyewitnesses say the victims were travelling from Bugge Village in Kogi State to Sokun in Niger State.
The boat, reportedly loaded with over 200 bags of paddy rice, was caught in cloudy weather and a violent windstorm, leading to the accident.
A resident, Baba Alhassan, confirmed that the exact number of passengers on board remains unknown. He also confirmed that all the rice bags were lost in the river.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed the incident but noted that the agency was still working to determine both the number of victims and the exact cause of the mishap.
