A 19-passenger boat conveying 16 people late on Friday capsized along the Ojo waterways area of Lagos State, leaving all passengers feared dead at the time of filing this report.
This is even as sources within the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed to ABN TV that four bodies have been recovered.
In a statement jointly signed on Saturday by the Lagos Area Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Engineer Sarat Braimah, and General Manager of Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Damilola Emmanuel, the boat flouted waterways rules by setting sail at 7:45 pm, which falls after the 7 am to 7 pm time giving for ferry operations in Lagos.
According to the statement, “At about 7.45 pm on Friday, the 8th of July 2022, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) received a distress call of an incident on the waterways.
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“A W-19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state.
“The Boat going from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7.45 pm. As the boat set out, the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge which caused the boat to overturn. It is said that all passengers on board including children were not all putting on their life jackets.
“The Search and Rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), National Inland Waterways (NIWA) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were immediately mobilized to the scene of the incident but unfortunately could only find the boat after several hours while efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims.
“The Boat is currently in the custody of Marine Police. The Boat Captain is also unaccounted for as at the time of this press release.”
Also speaking, a source in NIWA said four bodies have already been recovered.
“Search and rescue is currently ongoing and I can tell you that four bodies have been recovered. We will update the public on further happening,” the source told ABN TV.
