As over 200 citizens have been feared dead in the Niger State boat tragedy, stakeholders in the water transportation sector claim that the weak regulatory activities of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) may have been responsible for the capsizing of the boat
By Our Correspondent
On Tuesday October 1, 2024, as the Federal Government rolled out the drums to celebrate Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary, tragedy struck in Niger State when a boat carrying 300 passengers capsized, with over 150 feared dead.
The incident occurred around 8:30pm on Tuesday in the Gbajibo community, Mokwa Local Government Area of the state.
It was reliably gathered that the boat was returning from a Muslim religious festival.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed the incident, stating that the tragedy took place on the River Niger upstream of the Jebba Dam.
“The incident occurred in the Gbajibo community in Mokwa Local Government Area at around 8:30 pm on Tuesday. The boat was sailing from the Mundi community with almost 300 passengers, mostly women and children, who were returning from a Maulid celebration in Gbajibo.
“NSEMA is currently directing and monitoring search and rescue operations in collaboration with the State Ministry of Transport, Mokwa Local Government Emergency Committee, local divers, and other community volunteers.
“Nine bodies have been recovered so far-seven male and two female,” the Director General reported.
He said thanks to the swift response from local volunteers, over 150 people had been rescued alive so far, with search and rescue operations ongoing to find more survivors.
Just last week, the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Yakubu Garba, revealed that 182 people had lost their lives in boat accidents across the state over the past three years.
A breakdown shows that 95 lives were lost in 2022, 68 in 2023, and 19 so far in 2024.
He disclosed this during the 2024 World Maritime Day commemoration and the distribution of 33 fiberglass boats by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in Minna, Niger State.
He noted that the procurement and distribution of the boats would significantly help reduce the risks associated with water transportation.
It was gathered that more bodies have been recovered from the Gbajibo River.
Water marshals of NIWA, with the collaboration of the Niger State’s National Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, and local divers have recovered more 70 bodies, rescued 150 persons while the search for the remaining missing passengers is still ongoing.
President Bola Tinubu has since sent condolences to the Government and people of Niger State over the boat accident before embarking on his annual leave.
Governor Mohammed Bago has also expressed sadness over the incident and vowed to redouble efforts to enforce laws in line with water transportation to avoid frequent waste of lives and property.
Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Mrs. Sarat Braimah, who spoke on the incident, accused the operators of the ill-fated boat of illegal operations as they sailed at 8:30p.m., which was against the water transportation code which has outlawed night sailing.
Braimah, who absolved NIWA of complicity in the tragic incident following a public outrage over what was described as the negligence of the authority, disclosed that the four water marshals deployed to the Gbajibo River where the incident occurred had already closed from duty for the day and left.
She said that the Marshalls went to the other side of the jetty while the ill-fated boat was loading without their knowledge.
Again, NIWA attributed the unfortunate incident to flagrant disregard for transportation code by the boat operators such as overloading as the wooden boat carried 300 passengers, use of sub-standard boat which is a wooden carved boat without necessary navigational aids, non-wearing of safety vests and night sailing which has been banned.
Braimah said: “NIWA just constituted river marshals, who were posted to every state and Niger State in particular has 24 water marshals while in Mokwa LGA, where the incident happened, they have four Marshalls.”
She lamented the prevalence of night sailing in the North despite its ban which she said was a major challenge for NIWA.
“NIWA will now make it 24-hour surveillance on waterways in that area in order to prevent reoccurrence.”
According to her, the recently gazetted transportation code launched by NIWA and cascaded to every state contains penalties for infractions of safety standards.
“Last month, NIWA was everywhere on sensitization of the citizens on this code. But, unfortunately, this tragic incident happened.
“From now on, night sailing is our target. We are going to recruit more river marshalls who will be working on 24- 24-hour basis. This will hopefully deter people and boat operators from night sailing” Mrs Braimah said.
