At least 20 people have been confirmed dead following a boat accident that occurred on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m. in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.
An eyewitness, James Otoga, a farmer in the community, told journalists that the incident happened on Tuesday evening.
According to him, the ill-fated boat, fully loaded with passengers, had departed Onugwa community in Ibaji and was heading to Ilushi market before it capsized, leaving several people feared dead.
“The boat was fully loaded with our people going to market for the October 1st celebration. Only five survivors have surfaced so far. Twenty bodies have been recovered, and more of our people remain trapped beneath the River Niger.
Even those who came for a burial in Onugwa and were returning to Ilushi are missing. We are yet to confirm the actual number of people onboard and those who survived,” Otoga said.
Confirming the tragedy, the Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area, Hon. Ugeh Emmanuel, described the mishap as the most devastating in the council’s history, noting that many lives were lost.
“As I speak to you, no one can authoritatively state the actual number of casualties. We cannot even ascertain how many people were onboard when they departed.
This is a very serious accident. The boat had not even reached Ilushi when it capsized around 4:30 p.m. Most of the victims were heading there for the October 1st celebration, which has long been a tradition in the community, before meeting their untimely deaths,” he said.
It will be recalled that in the past year, several boat mishaps have been recorded in Kogi, Niger, and other riverine states, resulting in heavy loss of lives.
Efforts to reach the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebanji, and the Assistant General Manager (Corporate Affairs), Suleiman Makama, proved unsuccessful as their phone lines could not be reached.