Boat capsizes in Nigeria, at least 40 people drown

ABUJA, Nigeria, Sept. 16 (AP): A boat carrying mostly farmers has capsized on a river in northwest Nigeria, drowning at least 40 people, President Bola Tinubu said on Sunday. The accident occurred in Zamfara state as farmers were trying to get to their land, Tinubu said in a statement. The president promised support to the victims and directed emergency agencies to investigate the incident.

Yazid Abubakar, a police spokesman in Zamfara, told the Associated Press that the accident occurred on Saturday and that five people had been rescued but 40 were still missing. It was not immediately clear how many people were on the boat when it sank. The people on board were mostly farmers who regularly use the crossing to sell their produce in markets. Locals say the boat is often overloaded.

Zamfara state is teeming with armed groups that kidnap people for ransom, steal cattle and engage in illegal mining. Boating accidents are common in remote communities across Nigeria because the boats are overloaded and in poor condition. In August, more than 20 people died in a boating accident on a river in southern Nigeria when the engine exploded. Most boats do not have life jackets and do not have adequate safety measures, locals say.