The death toll from a boat accident involving villagers fleeing attacks by gangs in Niger state has risen to thirteen after five more bodies were recovered.
The head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Inga said an overloaded canoe carrying mostly women and children capsized in a river as they were fleeing attacks on Guni and Kurgbaku villages.
Inga said the bodies of two women and six children were recovered on Wednesday while five remaining bodies were recovered from the river on Thursday night.
Inga blamed the accident on overload and lack of maintenance as the canoe was too old to carry such number of passengers.