- •NSIB begins probe of crash
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, yesterday commiserated with the government and people of Nigeria over the Kwara boat accident that killed 106 people.
The boat which capsized at Kpada community in Patigi, at the wee hours of Monday, June 12, was said to have conveyed at least 250 passengers from Egboti village, Niger State, where they attended a wedding.
Governors of Edo and Ogun states, Godwin Obaseki and Prince Dapo Abiodun respectively, as well as The Nigerian Transportation Commissioners Forum (NTCF), also extended their condolences to the government and people of Kwara over Monday’s tragic accident which occurred at Patigi Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesperson for the Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric, at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York, said Guterres noted that the accident was another example of the need for comprehensive action to save lives at sea and reduce perilous journeys.
“I can tell you that we, along with our UN team in Nigeria, have expressed our sincere condolences to the families of those who died in the tragic capsized boat accident on the Niger River, many of them women and children.
“Our hearts go out to all people and the Government of Nigeria in this difficult time,’’ he said.
Similarly, Dujarric said Guterres recalled the horrific numbers of deaths that took place in the Mediterranean [in 2022] as counted by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
“Today, we have yet another tragic illustration. I can tell you that the secretary-general was horrified by the reports of a shipwreck that took place off the coast of Greece, claiming the lives of scores of women, men and children.
“He stressed, as he said before, that every person searching for a better life needs dignity and safety.
“This is yet another example of the need for Member States to come together and create orderly safe pathways for people forced to flee, and for comprehensive action to save lives at sea and reduce perilous journeys,’’ he said.
Commiserating with Kwara State Government, Obaseki expressed sadness over the incident, reiterating the need for safety on the waterways to avoid such tragedies.
“The incident is deeply saddening and our prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and the injured. It is even more painful that the deceased persons were guests at a wedding ceremony, which is supposed to be a moment of celebration and merriment.
“In the light of this unfortunate incident, it is pertinent to reiterate the call for safety on the waterways so as to avoid tragedies such as this one,” he said.
Abiodun said: “Words are inadequate to express my shock and sadness over this unfortunate incident, which occurred on Tuesday and led to the death of dozens of people who had attended a wedding ceremony.
“It is indeed sad that a wedding ceremony could turn tragic few hours later. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the deceased. I pray that God grant the families of the victims, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
Similarly, NTCF’s Executive Secretary, Mrs Chinwe Uwaegbute, while sympathizing with families of victims, assured that the forum was committed to stop reoccurrence of such incident.
Meanwhile, the NSIB said it had commenced investigation into the boat accident in line with directives of President Bola Tinubu.
Director General of NSIB, Akin Olateru, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.
To ensure diligent investigation, Olateru said the Bureau would carry out a lot of fact findings through crew and passenger interviews, working with relevant authorities to be able to determine the probable cause(s) of the accident.
Already, he said the Inspector General of Police had approved the use of police helicopters to access the location due to difficulty in accessing the scene.
Olateru said: “The access point is a challenge to us and accessing the scene by road would take not less than 12 hours. We approached the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to get helicopter which would aid our investigators to access the location easily and the IG approved the use of the helicopter.
“Currently, our investigators are on their way to the location but from the information we gathered, not less than 250 passengers were conveyed on a local boat and 106 fatalities were recorded while 144 passengers have rescued.
“Our investigation is not aimed at apportioning blame but we will work with relevant agencies including National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to know the cause of the accident.”
Olateru urged local, state, federal agencies and other relevant stakeholders to maintain effective cooperation and collaboration so as to ensure transportation safety.
The NSIB also said it was soliciting information from the public in form of pictures, videos or recording evidences to assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation. The Bureau also said it can be reached through info@aib.gov.ng and NSIB on its social media platforms and its emergency line on +234-807-709-0909.
