At least 22 people are presumed dead after the boat they were travelling on capsized in northwest Nigeria, the country's emergency agency has said.
"Search and rescue has been called off because it's expected that after 24 hours, there is no chance of finding any survivors," the agency told local broadcaster Channels on Wednesday.
Twenty-two people remain unaccounted for but rescue operations have ended, said National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)'s head of operations in Sokoto, Aliyu Kafindangi.
Twenty-five people were rescued shortly after the accident by emergency workers, the NEMA said, and three bodies were found on Tuesday.
The boat was carrying about 50 farmers and traders to a local market when it foundered midstream in northwestern Sokoto state on Sunday.
Boat accidents are common on Nigeria's poorly regulated waterways due to overcrowding and poor maintenance, particularly during the rainy season when rivers and lakes overflow.
At least 16 farmers died in a similar accident in August 2024 when a wooden canoe carrying them to their rice fields capsized in Sokoto state.
