There was outrage yesterday over the death of 106 passengers in a boat that capsized on Niger-Kwara waterways.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who commiserated with families of the victims, said he was saddened by the news of the accident that claimed the lives of wedding guests.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who led a delegation to the bereaved communities yesterday, rolled out safety guidelines.

Niger State Governor Umar Bago and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Douye Diri, expressed sadness over the boat accident that occurred on June 12.

In a statement by State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, the President said he was saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of over 100 Nigerians in Kwara State.

He promised to look into the challenges facing inland waterways transportation in the country, urging the state government and Federal agencies to probe the remote and immediate causes of the mishap as well as ensure succour for survivors and families of the victims.

Also, the death toll in the disaster rose to 106 yesterday.

Passengers onboard the boat were said to have been returning from a ceremony at a neighbouring village in Niger State when the vessel, pushed by tempest, hit a log.

President Tinubu said: “I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of our people in Kwara State. That the victims were guests at a wedding ceremony made the unfortunate accident more painful.

“My heartfelt sympathy and condolences go to the families and friends of victims of the tragic mishap. I also sympathise with the government and people of Kwara State over the accident. May all loved ones find comfort.

“The Kwara State government and relevant federal agencies should work together to unravel the immediate and remote causes of this unfortunate accident. Immediate relief and necessary assistance should also be provided to the survivors and families of the victims.”

AbdulRazaq led a government delegation to Patigi to commiserate with families affected by the boat mishap.

Accompanied by Senator Sadiq Umar (Kwara North), House of Assembly member for Patigi State Constituency, Muhammad Kareem, and Ahmed Adam Rufai, the governor first headed to the palace of the Etsu Patigi, who joined the delegation that visited the riverine communities affected by the accident.

“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 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 1,000 life jackets to support safe travels on water in the area.

“In addition to whatever safety measures that are in place, the government will design and roll out some statewide standard operating procedures (SOPs) for water travels to cover issues of boat serviceability, speed limits, loading limits and wearing of life jackets by all passengers. This will be the new irreducible minimum,” AbdulRazaq told reporters on the sideline of his visit to Kpada and Duro, the headquarters of Ebu and Dzakan settlements whose residents died in the incident.

The government, he said, would also send to the parliament a proposed legislation that imposes punishments and fines for violations of the safety protocol.

Commiserating with the Kwara State government over the sad incident, Bago, in a statement by his media aide, Ibrahim Bologi, said it was heartbreaking.

He hailed the Chairman of Mokwa Local Government Area and the acting Director-General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), for taking necessary steps to assist in rescuing some victims.

The governor advised the people, especially those around riverine communities, to ensure the use of life jackets when boarding a boat, avoid midnight travels and overloading.

Diri bemoaned the accident, describing it as unfortunate.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said the tragedy was a sad reminder of similar incidents in the riverine areas, particularly in Bayelsa and other coastal states in the country.

Diri said such incidents resulting in deaths would be minimised if the federal government, which was in charge of the waterways, took concrete steps to prioritise safety on the country’s rivers.

The governor urged the Federal Government to come up with a holistic safety policy that covers not only the air and roads but also the waterways.

He contended that if that was done, operators of river transportation in the country would be compelled to comply with such measures.

Diri noted that a situation where operators ignored safety rules to overload their boats had led to avoidable loss of lives.

Giving updates on the incident, the Kwara State Police Command said there were 250 people onboard the ill-fated boat, confirming that 106 died in the mishap.

The command’s spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said: “The boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from a village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu and Dzakan villages, all within Patigi 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.

“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 106 people.

“Among the casualties were people from Ebu village with 61 casualties, Dzakan village with 38, Kpada village with four dead, and three other casualties from Kogi State, putting the total number of casualties at 106 and the total number of rescued people at about 144.”

Okasanmi added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Paul Odama, had directed policemen on the rescue operation to continue with the task and ensure security for the rescued victims until they were fully recovered from the shock of the accident and handed over to their families.

Also, the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), through its General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Jibril Darda’u, blamed the boat operator for embarking on the voyage around 2:30 a.m, descrbing his action as unlawful and reckless.

“This accident was clearly an unfortunate and avoidable one. Preliminary investigations through our Area Manager in Minna/Kwara Area Office revealed that the boat driver and wedding guests were on the ill-fated voyage about 2:30 a.m, which speaks volumes about the disregard for the laws regulating Inland waterways navigation.

“For a wooden boat to had allegedly been carrying more than 200 passengers at once without using life jackets and sailing in the night was certainly gross-overloading and misconduct,” it said.

NIWA said it would, in line with extant laws and regulations, investigate the callous incident and prosecute those found culpable.

The Managing Director, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa described the incident as tragic, revealing that experts had been dispatched to assist with search and rescue operations.

He said the commission was awaiting a comprehensive report on the accident to be guided on the next line of action to prevent future occurrence. (The Nation)

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