The Global Sumud Flotilla said its vessels were being boarded by Israel naval forces, as it approached Palestinian territory, with cameras taken offline in a post on social media.

The passengers were mostly traders headed to a market in neighbouring Edo State, said Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi state commissioner for information.

The SS El Faro's sinking in 2015 was America's worst maritime disaster in decades, taking 33 lives. Afterward, making ships safer became a key goal.