At least 20 people have died in a boat accident that happened on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m. in Ibaji Local Government Area, Kogi State.
A local farmer named James Otoga, who witnessed the event, told reporters that the accident happened on Tuesday evening.
He said the boat was carrying many passengers and had left Onugwa community in Ibaji, heading to Ilushi market. But on the way, the boat overturned, and many people are feared dead.
“The boat was full of people going to the market to prepare for the October 1st celebration. So far, only five people have been found alive. We have recovered 20 dead bodies, and many others are still missing under the River Niger.
“Some people who came for a burial in Onugwa and were returning to Ilushi are also missing. We still don’t know the exact number of people who were on the boat or how many survived,” he said.
The Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area, Mr.Ugeh Emmanuel, confirmed the incident and called it the worst accident in the area’s history. He said many lives were lost.
“As I speak now, nobody can say for sure how many people were on the boat or how many have died. We are still trying to get the full details.
“This is a very serious tragedy. The boat had not even reached Ilushi when it overturned around 4:30 p.m. Most of the people on board were going to the October 1st celebration, which is an old tradition in our community, but sadly, many didn’t make it,” he said.
It is important to note that several boat accidents have happened in the past year in Kogi, Niger, and other river areas, leading to the death of many people.
Attempts to contact the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebanji, and the Assistant General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Suleiman Makama, were not successful, as their phone numbers could not be reached.
