No fewer than 30 individuals have lost their lives in a tragic boat accident in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The incident occurred on Monday when a boat, carrying more than 50 passengers, capsized in the river.
Bala Yauri, the Chairman of Yauri LGA, confirmed this devastating development and expressed the deep sorrow that has gripped the local community.
He explained that local divers are actively engaged in efforts to locate the bodies of the passengers who tragically drowned in the river.
Yauri provided some context, stating, “From the information I gathered, more than fifty persons were involved in the accident while some of them escaped, but as of now that I am talking to you, over thirty of them are still trapped in the river.”
He added that mobilized divers are working diligently to recover the victims’ bodies for proper evacuation and Islamic burials.
The passengers on the ill-fated boat were predominantly traders from either Niger State or Kebbi State, and they were transporting foodstuffs for sale when the accident occurred.
A witness to the incident, Alhaji Sani Yauri, attributed the accident to heavy winds that caused the boat’s driver to lose control, resulting in the capsizing.
Efforts to obtain a statement from the spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force in the state, DSP Nafiu Abubakar, were unsuccessful as he neither responded to calls nor replied to text messages sent to him at the time of filing this report.
