President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to investigate the spate of boat accidents in Niger State and across the country and devise modalities to check the trend.
The President gave the directive on Thursday, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, while commiserating with the government and the people of Niger State over a boat accident that occurred on Tuesday night at Mokwa Local Government Area of the State.
A boat which was said to be carrying about 300 people, mainly women and children, was sailing on the Gbajibo River from the Mundi community area of Mokwa Local Government when it capsized.
President Tinubu also ordered NIWA to expand the scope of its surveillance of inland waters to ensure Nigerians’ safety and prosecute boat operators violating the ban on night sailing.
The President commiserated with the families of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead.
President Tinubu also thanked emergency workers and local divers who are still working to find the remaining victims.
While at least 150 people have been rescued from the scene, 36 bodies have so far been recovered.
According to the spokesman, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Ibrahim Hussaini, the agency has been conducting rescue operations to recover the victims’ bodies.
He stated that the cause of the mishap remains unclear, adding that search efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining passengers.
On Wednesday, NSEMA recovered 19 bodies from the river, including both men and women.