At least 25 people have been confirmed de@d, while 13 others were rescued alive, after a canoe carrying dozens of passengers capsized in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The incident occurred at about 7:48 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2025, when the canoe, conveying 52 passengers, overturned while travelling from Adiyani town in Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State to Garbi town in Nguru LGA, Yobe State.
Confirming the incident, the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mohammed Goje, said the victims were returning from Adiyani, where they had engaged in fishing, farming and other commercial activities, when the canoe capsized along the Nguru waterway.
Goje disclosed that 14 passengers are still missing, prompting an intensified search-and-rescue operation involving multiple agencies.
“The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency can confirm the unfortunate canoe mishap that occurred along the Nguru waterway,” Goje said. “Preliminary reports indicate that 52 persons were on board the canoe before it capsized, resulting in confirmed fatalities, rescues, and some passengers still unaccounted for.”
He added that emergency teams responded swiftly after receiving a distress alert, with SEMA search-and-rescue units from Bade and Nguru, alongside security agencies and local community volunteers, deployed to the scene.
“So far, 13 passengers have been successfully rescued, while 14 others remain missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the missing persons and recover bodies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Nguru and Guri local government areas, describing the incident as a tragic loss.
The governor directed that immediate medical and logistical support be provided to survivors receiving treatment and stressed that referral services must be expedited to save lives as rescue efforts continue.