The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has attributed the remote cause of the boat mishap that claimed the lives of over 10 passengers in Kebbi State on heavy windstorm.
The capsized boat, NIWA said, was traveling from Niger State to Yauri market in Kebbi State before it met the heavy windstorm.
The Authority said its “preliminary investigation from Yauri, Kebbi State, revealed that the wooden boat capsized as a result of a heavy windstorm that accompanied the bad weather”.
NIWA said the sad and avoidable incident occurred on Monday, 2nd October 2023, due to human error because the sailor ignored the weather condition that was turbulent.
Managing Director, NIWA, George Moghalu, stated this during a visit to condole the Emir of Yauri Community.
“It is with deep sorrow and heavy heart we commiserate with the Government and people of Kebbi State over the recent boat mishap involving 17 passengers from Kasabo Villlage in Agwara Local Government of Niger State, heading to Yauri market in Kebbi State”.
The Authority insisted that it would sanctions any boat operator and passengers plying without wearing life jackets.
NIWA also decried non use of life jackets, saying the sailor was supposed to berth at the nearest bank of the river, which is NIWA safety guidelines for such weather conditions, “but he decided to continue the journey, thus making the passengers to panic and some of them jumped into the water without wearing life jackets and later the boat capsized”.
Moghalu said nine persons were rescued alive, while eight dead bodies were retrieved.
The NIWA boss lamented that despite several efforts in the sensitisation campaign on safety and training of boat operators in Yauri, in particular, and other parts of the country. “We still continue to record such boat mishaps due to negligence of the boat operators to safety guidelines”, he said.