At least 93 bodies have been recovered at Gwajibo community in Niger State, where a boat conveying about 300 passengers capsized on Tuesday.
LEADERSHIP gathered that all 300 passengers on board the ill-fated boat were indigenes of the Gwajibo Mudi community in the Kaiama local government area of Kwara State.
Sources said the victims were going to the neighbouring Gwajibo community in Niger State for the Maulud Nabbiy celebration when the incident happened.
The sources confided in LEADERSHIP that 93 bodies have so far been recovered from the river where the boat capsized.
LEADERSHIP gathered that four children who survived the incident were receiving treatment at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Gwajibo Mudi and are likely to be discharged today (Friday).
A community leader and former Kwara State House of Assembly member from Kaiama local government, Hon. Adamu Sabi, disclosed that the ill-fated boat had a carrying capacity of 200 passengers.
“ I wondered why the regulatory authorities allowed the boat with a capacity of 200 passengers to carry 300 persons, and at night for that matter,” Sabi lamented.
Meanwhile, the Emir of Ilorin and chairman of Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has commiserated with the state government over the unfortunate incident.
Sulu-Gambari, in a condolence message signed by his spokesman, Mal. Abdulazeez Arowona commiserated with the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Omar Mu’azu, over the tragic incident which reportedly claimed the lives of 169 persons.
“The incident is regrettable, saddening and worrisome considering the number of victims and lives involved,” the Emir said.
The monarch, however, commended the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for promptly directing the state emergency management agency to join the humanitarian efforts to provide succour for the incident survivors and other victims’ families.
He appealed to the residents of riverine areas to always put on safety jackets while travelling on the water as a precautionary measure.
Also, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency NSEMA has said 36 new dead bodies have been recovered, and No fewer than 150 victims have been rescued alive.
The Agency announced that 300 people were on board a boat mishap on Tuesday night in Gbajibo from Mundi, contrary to the Mokwa local government figure of 200 people.
The agency, while giving the latest information to LEADERSHIP yesterday, said the location of the mishap was on River Niger upstream of Jebba Dam, at Gbajibo community in Mokwa LGA.
The agency’s Public Relations Officer Ibrahim Hussaini told LEADERSHIP that “36 Dead bodies recovered so far as of 6 pm this evening (yesterday).”
He, however, said search and rescue was still going on as more hands were employed to help government officials conduct the operation.
Meanwhile, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has expressed sadness over the accident in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary Bologi Ibrahim.
