File photo shows rescuers at the site of a boat accident in Lagos, Nigeria, March 12, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhang Weiyi)

ABUJA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- One body has been recovered by local divers and 21 other people remained missing following a canoe accident in Nigeria, a local official said on Monday.

Eight people have been rescued after the boat capsized last Saturday in the northern state of Sokoto, according to Ibrahim Dingyadi, head of the State Emergency Management Agency.

Dingyadi told reporters that 30 passengers were on the canoe transporting them to Bafarawa River in the state when the incident occurred.

He said divers had been directed to search for the remaining 21 victims.

The Bafarawa River, where the incident occurred, is presently at its peak due to the rainy season in Nigeria.

Local authorities had earlier cautioned residents against the use of smaller boats and canoes, particularly during a heavy downpour.