June 12 Patigi Boat Mishap, Survivors Narrate Ordeal
By Taiwo Ogunniyi
Survivors of the Monday, June 12, 2023 in Patigi, Kwara State boat accident, where 107 passengers died, have given gory tales of the mishap, while thanking God.
According to one of the survivors, Suleiman Umar Mohammed, “we went to Eboti village for a marriage ceremony on Saturday. It is not easy for me to give you the number of people that are affected. The number of people that are affected are about 180. We have close to 200 inside the same local canoe.
“We entered the Canoe without any problem, unfortunately the canoe broke into two immediately we took off, we were already in the middle of the river when the incident happened and there was commotion when the Canoe threw many of us into the river.
“Before we now link ourselves to the river bank, some male ones among us were able to swim and fly out of the water while the female ones and the children were in the water.
“It is like the canoe was overloaded and it broke into two but the leakage seemed to be there before we entered. If there had been an access road that linked the villages, we should not have gone through the river, but because there is no road network around the area. The whole of the three villages are not linked together by the road so the passengers were forced to pass through the river.
“The permanent solution is to link them up by creating accessible road among the communities because they are not supposed to pass through the river at all. The villages are set up in a triangular form, they are just trying to create one manageable road to one of the locations so that they can now ply through it.
If there is link road network around the place then the people would have taken the road to their respective villages”
This was the submission of Mr Suleiman Umar Muhammad the Survivor and community leader in Ebu, Patigi local government area of Kwara State of the June 12 boat mishap that occured along the Jebba Lake channel in the Lafiagi- Patigi local government area of Kwara State.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command, had recently given a detailed account of the tragic boat accident which claimed the lives of over 100 wedding guests.
The command revealed that the unfortunate boat accident happened in Patigi Local Government Area of the state at about 0300 hours on June 12, 2023.
The spokesman of the command, Mr Okasanmi Ajayi said in a statement in Ilorin that information was received by the Divisional Police Officer of Patigi Divisional Headquarters to the effect that a boat accident occurred around the River Niger axis.
According to him, the immediate past Commissioner of Police Kwara State, Paul Odama immediately after receiving the information dispatched a team of policemen to join the policemen and other locals already on their way to locate the exact spot the boat accident happened and to embark on rescue efforts.
“The boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from a village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu Village and Dzakan Village, all within Patigi local government area.
“On leaving the shore, one part of the boat by the engine side collapsed where water penetrated the boat, which ultimately led to the boat capsizing.
“All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about 106 people.
“Among the casualties were people from Ebu Village with 61 casualties, Dzakan Village with 38, Kpada Village with 4 dead, and three other casualties from Kogi State, putting the total number of casualties at 106 and the total number of rescued people at about one 144,” the statement stated.
The Commissioner of Police, commiserated with the families of dead victims, praying that the souls of the departed rest in peace.
He further directed that the policemen on the rescue operation should continue in the effort while providing security for the rescued victims of the accident until they are fully recovered from the shock and trauma of the accident and handed over to their families.
Reacting to the incident, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) said that it will make use of local manpower to enforce operational guidelines on the nation’s water ways to prevent a reoccurrence of the boat mishap in the Kwara state community and any part of the country.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin recently after leading a delegation during on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Patigi communities, the NIWA managing director, Dr. George Moghalu, said total of 107 deaths was recorded in the boat accident in the Patigi local government area of the state at about 3:00am Monday while 146 escaped death when the boat capsized.
He said that preliminary investigation revealed causes of the incident, vowing that all indicted persons would be punished.
Moghalu said that there were instances where boat operators had been arrested, sent to prisons, and their vessels were either impounded or destroyed when considered not river-worthy.
He lamented that not all vessel operators were licensed or registered, saying that the organization would continue with registration of vessel operators to ensure safety of water ways.
Moghalu, who said that investigations on the Kwara boat mishap was still ongoing, added that preliminary investigation revealed that the vessel was very “heavily overloaded carrying over 250 persons including luggages. The people were not wearing life jackets and they were travelling in the dead hours of the night at about 2:30am.
“It was a rainy night. The rain came with wind. Apart from the rain increasing the water level, the wind was moving and forcing the both left and right and then smashed the boat against a tree. These are some of the issues that came out in the course of our preliminary investigations. Meanwhile, there is still a lot going on to forestall future occurrence”.
He also said that the investigation showed that 90 per cent of accidents on water occur either in the night or very early in the morning, adding that, “Most of these vessels don’t have night navigational aids, making the movement a risky venture. The vessel carried passengers five times more than what it should”.
The NIWA managing director, who said that the organization was determined to enforce standard operating procedure with a set of operational guidelines, added that it would use local enforcement agents, made up of youths to enforce the guidelines set for security purposes at all times.
“A team to assess environmental impact assessment of the incident would come to the area in order to determine provision of either jetty or ramp to improve movement in the area. Part of our responsibility is to ensure security and safety of the people.
“Part of the message to the people is that you cannot operate your vessel after 6:00 pm. The operational time is between 6:00am and 6:00pm. They should wear life jackets before entering any vessel. The vessel must not be overloaded. We would be using local media, traditional and religious institutions and community stakeholders to pass the message across to the people.
We will also continue training of operators to standardize operation all over the country”.
The NIWA boss, who said that the organization shared the pain of the people on what he described as avoidable deaths, added that President Bola Tinubu was very worried and concerned about the incident.
He also said that the President had ordered investigation on the incident to know exactly what happened with a view to stopping a reoccurrence.
“We met with the communities, spoke with survivors and relations of victims. We’re assuring you of our commitment as an organization to see what can be done to help. From our visit, the basic request was provision of more life jackets. This we’ve already done with provision of 100 life jackets. They also requested jetty.
“We have 23 area offices, manned by qualified personnel where we continue distribution of life jackets. We carried out sensitization to encourage people to wear life jackets and even helped to change expired life jackets.
Meanwhile, another Victim of the boat mishap Mr Muhammed Abdullahi said “I am one of the passengers in the boat and one of my sons was also in the boat.
“Few minutes after we entered the boat, the boat capsized. The female ones were unable to make it while the male made it by climbing the tree when the incident occured. We were over 150 in the boat one of my son, Usman Abubakar was also in the boat.
“We went to Eboti for a ceremony and after the ceremony was over, we planned to return to our village and at about 3am the boat took off and after about few minutes, the boat broke into two and threw all of us into the river and we fell into the river. I was able to swim and got to the bank of the river. Others died in the river and my son was one of those who died.
“My son, Usman is 15 years old, he is a tailor by profession. I feel pained because my son who died has handwork. He is my backbone and he used to help me with money. He has been helping us with anything we want in the family. I’m a farmer and he usually gives me money to buy farm inputs such as rice, chemicals and other things. With his death now, there is no one else to help me because my other children are too small.
“We want to appeal to the government to help us with roads in our area. We have no road. There is no road linking the villages with one another. We have to go on water to different places because there is no road linking the villages. If the government can provide us with roads, it will solve the major problem in our communities.
“We are also appealing to our governor, Mallam Abdulraman Abdulrazaq to assist us with farm inputs. We are Rice farmers, we need tractors to prepare land, he should also assist us with Fertilizer, herbicide and good yielding planting materials.”
A resident in the community, Ibrahim Mohammed said ” I’m from Ebu village, I’m one of the victims of last Monday boat accident.
“Actually, we all went to the occasion, the wedding ceremony at a village called Eboti under Patigi local government and by 3′ O clock in the midnight, we left there to come back to our respective villages and we all gathered at Lipata side between 3am and 3:10am.
” We all entered the boat and we started moving from that place to our village which is Ebu. It was like 2 minutes after we left Eboti site, water was leaking into the boat through a leakage on the side of the boat, the boat now collapsed, we were about 200 people in the boat comprising mainly women and children. The men in the boat were few.
“As the boat collapsed, we now started shouting but we lack of helpers as at that 3:10 to 3:20am, because some of the fishermen and boat drivers had gone home. The men in the boat that were thrown into the river tried to swim to the bank. Some of us escaped while others who could not make it died in the river. In my own village, Ebu we lost 62 people excluding one of my brothers that is still missing. We have not been able to see him till today (Wednesday.)
“On Monday morning, the corpses of some people who died in the accident were brought out of the river. Some of us from the village who escaped and swam to the river bank assembled in the village. When we could not see him, we went to the river bank and told some divers to help us look for him, but in the evening, they returned and said that they could not see him. Till now, he is yet to show up in the village while his corpse is yet to be located in any part of the river. We don’t know whether the river has taken him to another village in the lower part of the river.
Senior Village Head, Patigi local government, Kwara state Alhaji Liman Umar Ahmed said “The number of people that were affected were about 180 in the local canoe, unfortunately the canoe broke into two and before they could link up themselves to the river bank, we had about 200 persons inside the ill-fated local
canoe.
Unfortunately the boat broke into two and before navigating to the river bank, the whole thing sunk. The males amongst the passengers were able to swim out of the water. Women and children among them
drowned as the boat sunk.
“The canoe was over loaded and it broke into two. But had it been that there was an access road, they shouldn’t have passed through the river but just because there is no road network at all in the whole area , the three villages are not linked together by road so they were forced to pass through the river.
“The permanent solution is to link the communities up by creating accessible roads because they are not supposed to pass through the river at all. They were set up in a triangular form, so they were just trying to trace a manageable route to the occasion when the incident occured.” He said.
Also, The Managing Director, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq described as tragic, the boat mishap that claimed many lives on the River Niger in Patigi LGA of Kwara State.
The HYPPADEC Chief Executive said the incident was shocking and sad due to the intensity of casualties recorded.
Accordingly, the Commission dispatched a team of experts from Kwara state office to the scene to assist in search operations while it awaits a comprehensive report on the mishap to be guided on the next line of action to be taken to contain future occurrence of the ugly incident.
The incident according to reports, occurred when a woden boat carrying about 300 people returning to Ebu after a wedding capsized, claiming about 150 lives.
The Managing Director HYPPADEC expressed sympathy to the family of the bereaved while praying for quick recovery of the survivors.
He also expressed heartfelt condolences to Kwara State Government, Patigi Emirate and the families of the deceased.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq alsol led a government delegation to Patigi to commiserate with families affected in the Monday night boat mishap.
Accompanied by Senator Sadiq Umar (Kwara North), House of Assembly member for Patigi State Constituency Hon. Muhammad Kareem, and Hon. Ahmed Adam Rufai, AbdulRazaq first headed to the palace of the Etsu Patigi who then joined the Governor to visit the riverine communities affected in the accident.
“It is a sad event. We commiserate with our people in Patigi Emirate, including the Etsu Patigi Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II. We are deeply saddened by the event,” AbdulRazaq told reporters on the sideline of his visit to Kpada and Duro, the headquarters of Ebu and Dzakan settlements whose residents died in the incident.
“Measures will be taken as we are having discussions with Nigeria Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA) on enforcement of safety codes. We will also be sending a team to Lagos State on how their waterways law works.
“Our immediate step is to deliver at least 1000 life jackets to support safe travels on water in the area.
“In addition to whatever safety measures that are in place, the government will design and roll out some statewide standard operating procedures (SOPs) for water travels to cover issues of boat serviceability, speed limits, loading limits and wearing of life jackets by all passengers. This will be the new irreducible minimum.”
The government will also send to the parliament a proposed legislation that imposes punishments and fines for violations of the safety protocol, AbdulRazaq added.
“The government will also set up a body that oversees water transportation in the state. This body will complement the regulatory oversights of the National Inland Water Authority (NIWA) which has the statutory responsibility to enforcement safety codes on jetties, loading points, boats, canoes, barges, life vests, among others,” according to a state government’s statement released after the visit.
Also the newly elected Speaker of the 10th Legislature, Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu sympathized with the Etsu Patigi, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II, and the people of Patigi over the Monday night boat mishap.
Rt. Hon. Engr. Danladi-Salihu condoled the families of the dead ones and identify with those who are still missing praying to God to forgive the deceased and give the families fortitude to bear the loss.
“Our heart goes out to the people of Patigi especially those in Ebu, Dzakan, Kpada, Kuchalu, and Sampi over the boat mishap that claimed dozens of lives and left others missing. We also condole the Etsu Patigi over the unfortunate development, we pray to Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give their family fortitude to bear the loss”.
The Speaker also tasked the Fire Service and the rescue team to do everything possible to ensure the recovery of those still missing alive.
Also, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari CFR described the boat accident that occurred in Patigi local government area of the state which claimed the lives of over 100 people as unfortunate and disheartening.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Emir’s spokesman, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona.
Alhaji Sulu-Gambari who extended the condolences of the entire members of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council to the Etsu Patigi , Alhaji Umar Ibrahim Bologi II, the government and people of the state over the incident prayed for the families of victims of the boat mishap for God’s absolute comforts at this trying time.
“Our hearts and prayers are with you at this auspicious moment and may Almighty Allah give you all the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss this incident cause you”, the Emir said.
He prayed Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest with mercies and forgiveness and give their loved ones the fortitude to bear the great loss.
Also, Former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed sympathized with the people of Patigi and other concerned areas over the unfortunate incident of boat mishap which claimed many lives, while many others are yet to be found.
In a statement released in Abuja, Dr Ahmed said “I received the news of the incident with shock and awe. It is more devastating to learn that the mishap occurred after a wedding ceremony.
I sympathise with the families and the communities involved. May our state and communities never witness such a tragic event again.”
Dr Ahmed praised the courage of Etsu Patigi, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II on the incident.
=============
For More News or To Give Us Reports Join Our WhatsApp Group With This Link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdPVxGOPHCI5Kd4ALZduZ7
