Police confirm over 100 passengers dead as boat capsizes in Kwara

Police in Kwara State have confirmed over 100 people dead, including women and children, when a shuttle boat ferrying wedding guests hit an object in the river and capsized.

The boat said to be ferrying over 100 passengers, mostly guests returning from a marriage ceremony reportedly capsized in the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Monday, while on its return trip.

Spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the accident, said in an update on the boat accident in Patigi that 103 people died.

“The names of survivors will be made public as soon as they are available,” said Okasannmi, while also disclosing that investigation revealed that about 50 bodies of passengers have been recovered from the incident, which reportedly plunged the entire local government area into mourning.

Transition Implementation Committee Chairman, Patigi Local Government Area in Kwara State, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Liman, who also confirmed the accident, said that about 110 passengers reportedly died in the accident.

Liman, who quoted on Alhassan Bala Mohammed, a community leader in the area, said: “About 110 people died in the boat mishap in our area.

“We’re going to tell you about the tragedy and unforgettable memory that occurred to my people from our village and other neighbouring villages close to us.

“Our village people went to a wedding ceremony in another village called Gboti and the boat carried about 270 people, and almost 110 people were lost.”

Liman added further that from their record, 61 villagers from his village, Ebu, died in the incident; 38 from Gakpan; four from Kpada, two from Kuchalu and one from Sampi.

“This is an unforgettable memory and tragedy in the history of our village,” he said.

The traditional ruler in the community, Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II, also confirmed the accident.

Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has already dispatched a a message of condolences to the families of the victims.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred on Monday when the victims were returning from a marriage ceremony which held in a neighbouring Egboti village in Niger State.

It was also gathered that a strong wave hit the river, swerving the boat and forcing it to hit a tree which caused it to capsize throwing off many of its passengers in the process.

Some of the deceased had reportedly taken off from Kpada village to be part of the marriage ceremony at Egboti village.

Sources attributed the accident to the overloading of the boat, adding that the boat capsized during its return trip from the venue of the marriage ceremony.

The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Mai-Martaba Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, described the boat accident as ‘unfortunate and disheartening.’

The Emir said this in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesman, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona.

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 comfort 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 might cause you”, the Emir said, as he further ‘prayed to Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest with mercies and forgiveness and give their loved ones the fortitude to bear the great loss.’