Overview

• Kogi information commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said a passenger boat overturned on the Niger River near Ibaji, leaving at least 26 dead.
• Most passengers were traders traveling from Ibaji to the Ilushi market in neighboring Edo State, according to state officials.
• The cause of the capsizing has not yet been determined, though similar incidents in Nigeria are often linked to overloading, poor maintenance and a lack of life jackets.
• The Kogi state government said it will work with federal agencies to prevent further accidents on the waterways.
• The disaster follows a recent fatal incident in Niger State that killed at least 31 people, as accidents rise during the rainy season and enforcement of safety rules lags.