Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has expressed shock at the boat accident which occurred on between 7.30 am and 8am on Sunday claiming many lives in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State. Twenty four persons who were mostly women and children are confirmed dead and over 30 rescued with a combine rescue operation by marine police and local divers with the collaboration with Niger State Emergency Management Agency.

The Governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary Bologi Ibrahim described the accident as both Terrible and undesirable. He described the incident as shocking and sorrowful situation to the people of the affected communities and shares in their sorrow. He prays that Allah will grant the deceased Aljannah Firdausi. The Governor directed the State Emergency management Agency to do the needful to ameliorate the sufferings of the people. The governor called for the use of life jackets for anybody boarding a boat and condemned overcrowding of any boat embarking on a journey.

Punch revealed that the communities affected were in mourning as indigenes were searching for the whereabouts of their loved ones. The Chairman of Mokwa Local Government Jubrim Muregi confirmed the incident saying divers were making frantic efforts to rescue victims and recover more bodies.

According to the Director General of NSEMA, Alhaji Salihu Garba in his statement said that the agency received a report of the boat incident and had since engaged divers to conduct search and rescue at the scene of the accident. He said so far 24 corpses have been recovered and 30 have been rescued as the operation is ongoing.

SOURCE: PUNCH