By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Capsized boat used to illustrate the story |
DAMATURU, NIGERIA — The death toll from the devastating boat accident that occurred on Saturday in the Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State has officially risen to 29. The updated figure comes after emergency responders recovered four additional bodies from the river on Monday morning.
The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), Mohammad Goje, confirmed the development in a press statement. While the government had initially reported 25 fatalities, the continued search and rescue operations have uncovered more victims of the ill-fated voyage.
According to Goje, the situation remains critical as between eight and 10 passengers are still unaccounted for. Rescue teams remain on-site, combing the Yobe River in hopes of finding survivors or recovering the remaining victims.
On a more positive note, 13 passengers who sustained various degrees of injuries during the capsize have been successfully treated and discharged from a local hospital.
Preliminary investigations into the tragedy point toward a familiar and preventable cause. YOSEMA reports indicate that overloading and structural defects of the vessel were the primary factors that led to the accident.
The boat, which was reportedly carrying over 50 passengers mostly local farmers and traders departed from Adiyani in Jigawa State. It met its end in Garbi town at approximately 7:48 p.m. on Saturday, a remote area located over 230km from the state capital, Damaturu.
In response to the recurring issue of water transportation accidents, Governor Mai Mala Buni has directed YOSEMA to collaborate with federal agencies to overhaul safety protocols in the region. The goal of this partnership is to institutionalize the "policing" of water routes to prevent future loss of life.
"Once this is achieved, you can ensure that those that will board a canoe must wear life jackets, and that should be institutionalized," Goje stated, emphasizing that life jacket enforcement will be a top priority for the administration.
As the community mourns, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the urgent need for better regulation and infrastructure in Nigeria's inland waterway transport system.