Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has extended heart felt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in a boat accident in Niger State on Tuesday.
Niger Delta Connect earlier reported the Tragic incident which occurred on Tuesday Evening of October 1 2024 in Niger State when a boat carrying over 300 paasegers, mostly women and children, capsized during a Maulid celebration journey, leaving at least 150 people feared missing.
The ill-fated vessel was traveling from Mundi Community to Gbajibo Community in Mokwa Local Government Area when it met its demise around 8:30 pm along the River Niger, upstream of Jebba Dam.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) in a statement said over 150 persons were first rescued in the tragic occurrence.
The Director-General of NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah said this in a statement on Wednesday, 02 October, 2024 adding that the stride was achieved due to prompt response from community volunteers.
More reports by the agency further revealed that 16 more bodies were recovered. Among the newly recovered bodies were two females and 14 males, adding to the earlier discovery of nine bodies—comprising two females and seven males—bringing the total number of recovered victims to 25.
Around 60 bodies have reportedly been recovered after the boat capsized on Tuesday night.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, on Friday, 04, October, 2024,, the Speaker expressed sadness over the accident while sending condolence messages to the families of the deceased, as well as the people and government of Niger State.
He particularly sympathised with Governor Mohammed Bago over the tragic incident.
The speaker also called for safer water transportation for people and goods across the country while urging the agencies responsible for maritime and inland waterways to enforce safety standards.
The Speaker voiced concern about the devastating natural disaster in Mokwa LGA, where a staggering 300+ communities have been ravaged by floods, leaving countless people homeless and without farms.
The unfortunate occurrence has had far-reaching socio-economic repercussions, affecting not only the local population but also the state and nation as a whole.
Abbas therefore called for concerted efforts by all relevant emergency and humanitarian agencies of the government to provide relief materials to the victims, to help alleviate the impact of the disaster.
