MINNA / LAGOS – Following Tuesday night’s commercial boat mishap involving about 300 travellers at Gbajibo Village, Mokwa Local Government Area, no fewer than nine bodies have been recovered around the River Niger upstream Jebba dam in Niger State.
This is just as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said it has rescued more than 100 passengers out of about 200 souls onboard in the boat mishap.
The nine dead bodies, Daily Independent findings revealed, were part of about 300 passengers said to be traveling from Kwara State on a religious trip with their Chief Imam to old Gbajiko Village.
A statement from the Commissioner, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Baba Suleiman Yumu, signed by the Director, Media and Strategy, Habibu Wushishi, confirmed the recovery of the bodies.
The boat was sailing from Mundi Community with a population of almost 300 passengers comprising mostly women and children to celebrate Maulid at Gbajibo before the incident.
“I received with shock the report of the boat accident at Gbajibo Village in Mokwa Local Government on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, that out of the about 300 passengers, only 150 of them were rescued alive.”
The ministry, according to him, was working tirelessly with the state Ministry of Transport, State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) and the National Inland Water Ways to update all the critical stakeholders of the boat capsize.
Also speaking, the Director-General (DG) NSEMA, Alhaji Baba Arah, blamed the accident on overloading as well night traveling, adding, however, that search and rescue operation was still ongoing.
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While commending the prompt response of volunteer divers from neighbouring community volunteers, the NSEMA DG said, “Over 150 persons have been so far rescued.”
While the search and rescue operation to locate more survivors continues, Baba Arah said, “Nine corpses; two females and seven males, have been evacuated from the river.”
Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said it has rescued more than 100 passengers out of about 200 souls onboard the boat.
NIWA preliminary report attributed the incident to overloading of the boat by the operators.
The authority also described the recent incident boat as unfortunate despite its continued efforts at reducing such incidents.
According to NIWA, the accident involving a wooden boat with about 200 passengers on board was travelling from Gbajibo Mudi to New Gbajibo at about 8:30 p.m. in the night when it suddenly capsized.
While the authority maintained that rescue efforts were still ongoing, it said that as of the last count, it had rescued more than 100 passengers from different parts of the channel.
NIWA also warned boat operators to desist from flouting safety rules, including ban on night travel and overloading of boats.
