At least 200 traders are feared dead following a tragic boat accident in Kogi State. The Head of the Media Department of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Suleman Makama, confirmed the incident on Friday but stated that detailed information was not yet available.
Reports indicate the traders were traveling to Niger State when the accident occurred. Sources revealed that the boat capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi section of the River Niger, resulting in significant casualties among the passengers, many of whom were women heading to a market.
Eyewitnesses stated that the boat, owned by one Musa Dangana, was transporting over 200 passengers, including market women and farm laborers, to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State. As of this report, eight bodies have been recovered, while rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers.
The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebanji, has highlighted human error, drug use, and disregard for regulations as the primary causes of boat accidents in the last three years.
Addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on NIWA during an oversight visit to the authority’s Lokoja headquarters, Oyebanji noted that 99% of such incidents are avoidable and stem from preventable mistakes.
He added that some operators use drugs to enhance their stamina but end up making critical errors that lead to disasters like the one in Kogi State.
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