Two Dead, 16 Missing In Lagos Boat Accident

At least two people are dead after a passenger boat capsized at Ijede, Lagos, last Saturday night, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has said.
The accident occurred at about 8.30 p.m. while the boat was conveying passengers from Ikorodu to Badore, Ajah.
It was gathered that the boat was conveying 21 passengers. Three people were rescued while the two corpses have been recovered.
Chief executive officer of LASEMA, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, told newsmen yesterday afternoon that 16 bodies are yet to be recovered.
Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said the capsized boat has been recovered by the marine police.
“No information is on ground about the captain of the boat. Further investigations are ongoing to know why the boat capsized,” he said.
The LASEMA boss said recovery efforts are still ongoing and expressed concerns that many boat operators on Lagos waterways are not licensed.
“These boats are run by illegal agencies, plying waterways without having the state licence, they even ply the waterway at night and the rule states that ‘don’t ply waterways after 7 p.m.”