A trader and survivor of the boat accident in Gbajibo River, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, Salihu Mudassir, speaks to GRACE EDEMA about his struggle to stay alive despite the odds

Where are you from?

I’m from Gbajibo, Mudi, in Kwara State. I live in one of the local government areas in the state.

Can you narrate how the boat accident happened?

The incident happened on Wednesday, May 18, 2025. I was on the boat that day. Before we boarded, it had already started raining. Some people suggested that we wait for the rain to stop, while others insisted that we should go ahead. Many were eager to return home. Eventually, we decided to board the boat despite the weather.

As we set off, the water started acting strangely—it became rough and unstable. After a while, water began entering the boat, and it felt like we were about to sink. That was when people started jumping into the river. Those who could swim tried to save themselves. But even if you know how to swim, there’s a limit to what your body can endure. Without help, it becomes very difficult to survive.

Do you have any idea how many people were on board? Was the boat overloaded?

The boat we boarded could carry about 80 people, but honestly, we were far more than that. In addition to the passengers, there was also a lot of cargo on board because we were returning from the market.

How far had the boat gone before the accident happened?

We had gone quite far. We couldn’t go back to where we started, and at the same time, reaching our destination felt impossible. We were stuck in the middle of the river, with no way forward or backward. At that point, the river became very rough. Honestly, my heart was pounding with fear. I didn’t know if I was going to survive.

Was that when you jumped into the water?

Not immediately. You see, most of the people who died were those who jumped into the river too early. In such a moment, you have to stay calm, assess the situation, and act wisely. If the boat is about to sink and you can swim, there’s a chance you might survive—but panic can kill.

I looked around to see if there was any direction I could swim toward or any hope of help. But we had nothing with us—no life jackets, no proper water safety gear. The water level rose quickly, and when it reached my stomach, I knew I had no choice. There was no help in sight. I prayed, saying that even if I were to die, may God have mercy on me and my family.

So, you jumped after praying?

Yes, I jumped and started swimming. But even in the water, it was not easy. People were holding onto each other, crying, struggling. In that kind of situation, you can’t even help your own father, because if someone grabs you out of panic, both of you might drown. It was heartbreaking. I had to swim while avoiding the crowd. It was a matter of survival.

When you jumped into the water and started swimming, how long did you swim?

When I started swimming, most of the others were already ahead of me. As I said earlier, I couldn’t turn back, and I couldn’t swim into the crowd either. If anyone had grabbed me, we would both have drowned because I wasn’t strong enough to carry anyone.

So, I stayed focused and swam toward our destination, maintaining some distance from the others. It was heartbreaking. As I swam, I saw people getting tired. Some would be swimming and then suddenly go under. There was nothing anyone could do to help them.

Some people were crying, others were praying. But honestly, more people were crying than praying, because not everyone could maintain the presence of mind to pray in that kind of situation. Everyone was simply trying to survive.

Even now, when I remember it, I still cry. Watching people drown—people who were strong and alive just moments before—was deeply traumatic. Some were too tired to continue. We lost many people.

Some of those who died were my family members, some were neighbours, and some were close friends. This kind of tragedy is too heavy to bear. Losing over 30 people in a single incident is truly devastating.

Apart from those who died in the boat, were others able to swim to safety?

Anyone whom God did not allow to die at that moment survived. As the boat was sinking, people began shouting for help. Our destination was close by, so people in that area could hear our cries.

Unfortunately, they didn’t realise what was happening. They thought the shouting was from somewhere else—maybe a party or something—so they didn’t take it seriously or come to help in time. That delay was one of the reasons so many people died.