(Source : Punch News) A boat carrying over 200 passengers, primarily market women from Kogi State, capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi section of the River Niger, near the border of Niger State. The incident has left at least eight people confirmed dead, with search and rescue operations ongoing to locate the remaining passengers. The boat was en route to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State when it overturned.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed the accident, though the exact number of casualties has not yet been determined. Suleman Makama, Head of NIWA’s Media Department, said the authority is still investigating the cause of the accident and will provide more details once the search operation concludes. Eyewitnesses reported that the boat, owned by Musa Dangana, was carrying market women and farm laborers at the time of the mishap.
Makama stated that a detailed official statement will be issued once NIWA management provides clearance, but no specific timeline for the release of information was given.
This latest tragedy brings attention to the ongoing safety concerns on Nigeria’s waterways. The Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebanji, has previously highlighted human error, drug abuse, and violations of safety regulations as the main causes of boat accidents in the region. “Ninety-nine percent of mishaps on the waterways result from human errors,” Oyebanji noted, emphasizing that many boat operators often disregard safety measures such as life jackets and overload their vessels beyond capacity.
The incident is also a stark reminder of the need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations on Nigeria’s inland waterways. According to Oyebanji, the recent signing of a new transportation code aims to address these issues, but enforcement remains a challenge, especially in the face of non-compliance by many operators.
As the search continues, local authorities are urging boat operators to adhere strictly to safety guidelines to prevent further tragedies.
