Eleven persons have been confirmed killed after a boat capsized in Tafa River at Maun II in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

An eyewitness who revealed that the boat was conveying 29 linked the cause to a faulty engine.

He added that the boat was already in the middle of the river ferrying passengers and their goods from Badagry area of Lagos State to Maun in Ipokia when the incident occurred on Friday.

The Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, also confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Saturday.

He, however, blamed the incident on overloading, in addition to the boat travelling at night without a headlamp while passengers were not wearing life jackets.

“Yes, there was boat capsize,” Oyeyemi said. “It was overloaded. The boat did not have light and travelled in the night. It had a head-on collision with a pillar in the river.”

He added, “The passengers were coming from Badagry in Lagos to Ipokia. It was the last boat left and all the 29 traders boarded the boat.”

The command’s spokesman explained that 16 passengers were rescued while 10 died on Thursday and the other one on Friday.

He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ahmed Iliyasu, has directed that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area to ensure that boat passengers must wear life jackets.

Oyeyemi said boat operators have also been warned not to carry more than their capacity.

He added that the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the morgue in Ipokia.

•Sourced from a Channels TV report

Update news