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‘She Clung To The Children’: Kwara Boat Tragedy Survivors Mourn
As the search continues for dozens still missing after a Nigerian boat tragedy, survivors mourn 106 fellow wedding guests and relatives.
Ilorin, Nigeria — In Nigeria, wedding ceremonies spilling over from one day into another are as frequent as the parties are colourful; the one Ibrahim Mohammed attended on Sunday, June 11 in the Egboti community of Niger state was no different.
So after the party, he set forth before dawn on Monday for home: Egbu village in the Pategi local government area of nearby Kwara state – also in central Nigeria.
Since the road connecting both communities was in a bad state, he boarded a large boat, alongside more than 200 other wedding guests and one motorcycle for the 40-minute ride across the Niger, the river that gives Nigeria its name. The clouds were still dark as their boat sailed from the waterside.
Only a few minutes into the journey, the travellers heard the sides of the boat break. It had hit something. Water rushed into the boat. The engine stopped.
Afraid, they began jumping into the Niger to swim back to shore.
But as Kwara state police spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, 106 of them never made it. They were pulled from the water, lifeless. Many were women and children. All were related to the groom.
Another 144 were rescued, including Mohammed.
“I feel very sad …. we have had boat accidents before but this kind of thing has never happened to us in our life before,” the 26-year-old undergraduate of Ahman Pategi University in Pategi, told Al Jazeera. “Most of the people in our community lost some family members.”
An unknown number of passengers are still missing and their families are still waiting for news.
Help was slow in coming, survivors say. And reports of the tragedy barely made it to the media.
“The nearest police station to that place was about four to five hours’ drive and by the time the police got there on a rescue mission … it was late,” Ajayi told Al Jazeera. “As I speak, the police are still on ground to see if any other survivor or dead body could be recovered.”
Boat accidents are a regular occurrence in Nigeria, due to multiple factors including flooding and lack of safety gear.
Last September, 33 people reportedly drowned after a similar incident in Niger state. In April, five people died in another boat accident in the southern state of Bayelsa.
‘She clung to the children’
After Mohammed swam to the shore, he saw other men from the boat, all jumping back into the water to help pull others to safety.
“I personally helped two adults and one child, but we soon got tired because the people in need of help were too many and that part of the water was shallow and dangerous so our effort failed,” he told Al Jazeera.
Some of those who did not survive were women with children with them who couldn’t swim, or those who did not want to leave their young behind.
Mohammed’s sister and four of his female cousins were among them.
“I saw one of them, who was a very good swimmer in the water but she didn’t leave because she clung to the children,” he said. “Another of them is survived by four children.”
In Kpada, Egbu and Gakpan villages in Kwara as well as Niger’s Egboti, the people mourned and counted their losses as news trickled in. “I lost 10 members of my family, including my five brothers, father, mother and stepmother … about 80 people died from my village alone,” Mohammed Modu, a farmer in Egbu told Al Jazeera.
The retrieved bodies were buried by the river in each village, according to traditional custom.
‘None of us is able to sleep alone’
Modu was asleep when a friend called at 4am with news of the boat capsizing. He shouted, “Oh my God” and hurriedly got up and started running to the Egbu waterside, he told Al Jazeera.
“I started running to the riverside … hoping I could find them or their dead bodies but I did not see anyone there. I broke down and I started to cry,” he said.
By daybreak, he had counted 10 dead relatives.
Survivors and other residents are now relocating to other villages and towns, wishing to seek new lives after the tragedy. Modu too, plans to leave.
“If it is possible, I am going to move to Ilorin to work as an okada [motorcycle taxi] rider,” he said, crying.
Migration away from the community is only part of a broader feeling of devastation for survivors and the families of victims, said Olasunkanmi Habeeb, of the Institute for Land and Community Resilience at the Federal University of Technology in the Niger state capital, Minna.
“The impact can be life changing and families may struggle to cope with the loss of loved ones or with caring for those who are injured,” he said. “It may also exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities.”
The accident exposed shortcomings in regulation safety standards and highlighted the need for better infrastructure and emergency response capability, he said.
Authorities in Abuja and Ilorin, the state capital, have released commiseration statements.
President Bola Tinubu who said he was “deeply saddened”, urged the Kwara government to investigate the incident; Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Kwara state governor, led a government delegation to Pategi and promised to donate 1,000 life vests.
But as of Thursday afternoon, residents involved in organising a search and rescue mission told Al Jazeera that no officials had attended the scene yet.
Back in Egbu, Mohammed said he also considered leaving town but was unable to do so because his parents’ roots are there. Leaving would add to their sorrow, he said, and they were all now interdependent.
“None of us is able to sleep alone,” he said. “We now gather up to like five people in the room to be able to sleep.”
itel, the technology empowerment brand for masses, officially unveiled its new product A300+, brand’s first interactive dual-screen smartphone in its price range. itel A300+ comes with a comprehensive set of features — a 7000mAh marathon battery, IP65 military-grade durability, and satellite communication capability, demonstrating that innovation and complete product strength can coexist at an accessible price point.
A First-of-Its-Kind Rear Screen Experience: Interactive Innovation for a New Generation
itel A300+ coming with an interactive rear display is a rare feature in this price category, designed to deliver a smart entertainment experience for young generations. Far from being a cosmetic gimmick, the rear screen provides practical functions built around real everyday scenarios. Users can frame selfies using the higher-quality rear camera with a live preview on the back screen, glance at incoming messages and alerts without waking the main display, and play, pause, or skip tracks directly from the rear screen. The rear display also supports customizable clocks, photos, and designs, giving users a personal window to express their individual style. Complementing the rear screen, the A300+ features a 6.78-inch immersive punch-hole main display, offering a cleaner, more expansive viewing experience for streaming, gaming, browsing, and social media.
Performance and Value in Balance: Delivering Fresh Technology Despite Industry Pressure
Even amid rising industry costs, itel has chosen to bring fresh technology to its products while continuously improving performance and keeping pricing accessible. The A300+ is powered by a 7000mAh marathon battery engineered for long-term reliability, supporting up to 1,200 charging cycles — far exceeding the industry standard, and designed to retain healthy capacity. AI Charging Protection intelligently manages charging patterns to reduce battery degradation, while Smart Power Management optimizes power consumption across apps and hardware to extend usage time between charges.
The device also features 300% ultra-volume DTS stereo speakers, delivering rich, room-filling sound for music, videos, FM radio, and everyday entertainment. Built to withstand daily life and beyond, the A300+ carries IP65 water and dust resistance certification and meets military-grade durability standards, resisting splashes, dust, and accidental drops. Notably, the A300+ includes satellite communication capability, ensuring users can still send basic messages via satellite when cellular networks are unavailable — a safety net in remote areas, during natural disasters, or in other critical situations, setting it apart in its price segment.
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DJ ROBOT teams up with TMP OFFISIAL and FATEOFTHEYOUTH for NDSM DELUXE, a new DJ mixtape that expands the world of NDSM — No Dey Stress Me into a bigger, more energetic listening experience.
Built around DJ ROBOT’s approach to sequencing, mixing, and controlling energy, NDSM DELUXE transforms the NDSM mindset into a full sonic journey. The mixtape explores nightlife, pressure, temptation, confidence, freedom, desire, and the decision to simply refuse to let life overwhelm you.
Bringing together DJ ROBOT’s DJ-driven vision with the creative energy of TMP OFFISIAL and FATEOFTHEYOUTH, the deluxe edition adds new dimensions to the original NDSM message while maintaining its central philosophy: No Dey Stress Me.
Rather than simply extending the original project, NDSM DELUXE is designed as an experience — moving through different moods, rhythms, and moments while allowing each transition to contribute to the story.
For DJ ROBOT, the project represents an opportunity to communicate through energy as much as words.
“The original NDSM had more energy and stories to explore. I wanted to take the ‘No Dey Stress Me’ mindset beyond the song and turn it into a full DJ experience — something that captures nightlife, freedom, pressure, temptation, and the moments when you simply choose to enjoy yourself and live in the present.”
Listen below;
Nigerian artist N8TAN is set to unveil his highly anticipated ‘UPRISING EP’, a body of work that chronicles his journey from the streets to the heights of his musical ambition.
Built around themes of struggle, resilience, ambition, survival, and triumph, UPRISING captures the realities of an artist determined to turn adversity into momentum. The project reflects N8TAN’s experiences, the challenges that shaped him, and the relentless drive that continues to push him forward.
More than a collection of songs, UPRISING is presented as a story of transformation—from navigating the streets and confronting uncertainty to finding purpose, embracing growth, and rising toward the top.
With its blend of raw storytelling, infectious energy, and personal perspective, the EP offers listeners an intimate look into N8TAN’s world while reinforcing his determination to carve out his own place in the music industry.
‘UPRISING EP’ is a statement of elevation: a reminder that where you start does not have to determine where you finish.
As N8TAN continues to build his musical identity, UPRISING marks another significant chapter in his journey—and an invitation for listeners to rise with him.
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