The National Inland Waterways Authority has confirmed a boat accident involving no fewer than 200 market women from Kogi State.
The Head of NIWA’s Media Department, Suleman Makama, confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that the women were travelling to a market in Niger State on a boat when it capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi section of the River Niger.
The number of casualties is yet to be ascertained.
Makama said, “It’s true that there was a boat mishap on Thursday involving quite a number of women heading to the market in Niger State. We are still investigating to determine the number of people involved and the cause of the accident.”
According to eyewitnesses, the boat, owned by one Musa Dangana, was carrying over 200 passengers, including market women and farm labourers, en route to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State.
As of the time of this report, eight bodies have been recovered, while search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers.
Makama further noted that he is awaiting clearance from NIWA management before issuing an official statement providing comprehensive details of the incident.
When asked about the timeframe for the statement, he said, “I can’t give a specific time frame but will get back to you as soon as possible.”
PUNCH recalls that the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebanji, has previously identified human errors, drug abuse, and non-compliance with safety regulations as the leading causes of boat accidents over the past three years.
Oyebanji made this known on Wednesday while responding to questions from members of the House of Representatives Committee on NIWA during their oversight visit to the authority’s headquarters in Lokoja.
He reiterated NIWA’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Nigerians using water transportation.
“Ninety-nine per cent of mishaps on the waterways result from human errors”, Oyebanji stated.
He explained that operators often make avoidable mistakes, adding, “Some of these operators rely on drugs, which impair their judgment and lead to fatal errors.”
He also decried the disregard for regulations, stressing that “it’s unacceptable for wooden boats to carry over 150 to 200 passengers, far exceeding their capacity.”
Oyebanji emphasised the need for stricter adherence to the recently signed transportation code and noted that many operators fail to provide life jackets for their passengers.
(PUNCH)