Kogi: Boat Conveying 200 Capsizes, Eight Bodies Recovered
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed a boat accident involving no fewer than 200 market women from Kogi State.
The Head of the Media Department of NIWA, Suleman Makama, who confirmed the incident on Friday, said that the women were on their way to the market in Niger State on Friday morning riding on a boat when it capsided along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of the River Niger, killing a yet-to-be-ascertained number of the women.
“It’s true that there was a boat mishap on Thursday involving quite a number of women going to the market in Niger State. We are still investigating to ascertain the number of people involved as well as what led to the accident.” He said.
According to eyewitnesses, the boat, which belonged to 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 were said to have been recovered, while search and rescue operations continue to locate the remaining passengers.
He stated that he is still awaiting clearance from the management before issuing an official statement, which will provide details of the incident.
When asked how long the process might take, Makama responded that he could not provide a specific timeline but assured that he would update our correspondent as soon as possible.
