Tragedy struck in the early hours of Monday when a boat carrying farmers capsized in Kubo Ward, Shani Local Government Area of Borno State, leaving three people dead.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the accident occurred while the farmers were transporting yams from a riverbank to their farms across the water.
The agency confirmed that the mishap was caused by overloading.
Out of the 20 passengers onboard, 17 were rescued alive, while the bodies of three others were later recovered.
Quoting the Chairman of Shani LGA, Abdu Labaki, the North-East office of NEMA said:
“The incident occurred in the early hours of today, 25th August 2025, involving 20 farmers in their effort to be conveyed to their farms located over the riverside. The boat capsized due to overloading. Seventeen people were rescued alive, but three died and their bodies were recovered.”
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A local resident, Audu Abu, who also confirmed the incident, however, claimed that more than 27 people were on the canoe at the time of the accident.
He added that search operations were ongoing to determine if there were still missing persons.
“The tragic canoe crash occurred at River Kubo in Shani Local Government Area, specifically in Kubo Ward. The canoe, which was carrying over 27 people, met with an unfortunate accident, leaving three people dead,” Abu told reporters.
The incident comes amid heavy flooding that has affected several communities in Borno State in recent weeks, destroying homes and farmlands.
Authorities have urged residents to avoid overloading boats and to comply with safety guidelines to prevent further tragedies on the waterways.