…boat carried 250 passengers.
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The police in Kwara State had put the latest figure of casualties in a boat mishap on Monday on River Niger at 106 while a total number of those rescued so far is 144.
The State Command in an official statement said the boat that was returning from a wedding ceremony at a community on the other side of River Niger capsized about 3am on Monday and that it was carrying not less than 250 passengers at the time it happened.
The unfortunate boat accident that happened in Patigi Local Government Area of the state on June 12, 2023.
Boat mishaps had in recent time in the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State been recurring due to alleged overloading of passengers particularly on occasions of marriages which is often made elaborate, drawing traditionally, the attendance of relations on the banks of River Niger covering riverine Nupe communities of Kwara, Niger and Kogi States.
Giving details, the Police in Kwara State said its Divisional Police Officer, DPO, at Patigi Division received an information to the effect that “a boat accident occurred around the River Niger axis.”
Ajayi Okasanmi, a Superintendent who is the Public Relations Officer of the Command in a signed statement said: “The Commissioner of Police Kwara State, CP Paul Odama, immediately after receiving the information dispatched a team to join the policemen on ground and other locals already on their way to locate the exact spot the boat accident happened to join in the rescue efforts.
“The boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from a village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu Village and Dzakan Village, all within Patigi’s local government area.
“On leaving the shore, one part of the boat by the engine side collapsed where water penetrated the boat, which ultimately led to the boat capsizing”.
He further said: “All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about one hundred and six (106) people.”
Among the casualties, he added “were people from Ebu Village with 61 casualties, Dzakan Village with 38, Kpada Village with 4 dead, and three (3) other casualties from Kogi State, putting the total number of casualties at one hundred and six (106) and the total number of rescued people at about one hundred and forty-four (144)”.
Okasanmi conveyed the wishes of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Odama who on behalf of the entire Police Command, “to share in the griefs of the families of dead victims, and prayed that the souls of the departed would rest in peace.”
The Police spokesman said his boss had further directed that the policemen on the rescue operation “should continue in their efforts while providing security for the rescued victims of the accident until they had fully recovered from the shock and trauma of the accident and handed them over to their respective families.”
Meanwhile, the State Government has given out 1,000 pieces of life jackets to the Pategi Local Government to be distributed to people whose main means of transportation is by water.
The governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, led government functionaries including National Assembly members to sympathise with people of the Council Area.
Fielding questions from newsmen after visiting Kpada and Buo communities whose indigenes died in the mishap the governor said: “It is a sad event. We commiserate with our people in Patigi Emirate, including the Etsu Patigi Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II. We are deeply saddened by the event.
“Measures will be taken as we are having discussions with Nigeria Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA) on enforcement of safety codes. We will also be sending a team to Lagos State on how their waterways law works.
“Our immediate step is to deliver at least 1000 life jackets to support safe travels on water in the area.”
He was accompanied by Senator Sadiq Umar representing Kwara North District where Patigi falls, House of Assembly member for Patigi State Constituency Hon. Muhammad Kareem, and Hon. Ahmed Adam Rufai.
The governor first visited the palace of Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Musa Bologi II who then joined him to visit other riverine communities affected in the accident.
Photo above: Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (in blue kaftan) greeting some women who lost relatives in the boat mishap in Kpada on Wednesday.