Tragedy has occurred in Niger State as 29 people have died in a boat mishap in Borgu Local Government Area of the state.
Also, rescuers were said to have rescued 50 persons with many still feared missing.
The incident, which occurred on September 2, 2025, around 11:30 am, was linked with overlap of the boat.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Director of Information and Special Duties, Niger State Emergency Agency, NSEMA, Dr Ibrahim Hussaini, on behalf of the Director General, Abdullahi Baba Arah, said the boat was carrying 90 passengers when the incident occurred.
He confirmed that the boat capsized after colliding with a tree stump due to suspected overloading.
The boat was conveying passengers, including women and children, traveling from Tugan Sule in Shagunu Ward to Dugga for a condolence visit.
Arah confirmed that rescue efforts led by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, have rescued 50 people with two still missing.
“The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has recovered 29 bodies, 50 people rescued alive, and two individuals are still missing,” the DG NSEMA revealed.
He stated that search operations are ongoing to locate the missing persons.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
