17 people missing as boat capsizes in Lagos lagoon

A boat mishap which occurred over the weekend at Ipakan boat jetty in Egbin, Ikorodu in Lagos State has left 17 people missing while two dead bodies have so far been recovered and three people rescued alive.

According to findings, the accident occurred at Ipakan boat jetty on Saturday 29th of June, 2019 due to overloading of the boat and night travelling.

Investigations conducted revealed that the boat was en route Badore in Ajah with 21 passengers on board.

It was gathered that the boat was overturned by the heavy current. Three persons were rescued by the combined efforts of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and were taken to a nearby hospital.

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Unfortunately, the lifeless body of an adult female, identified as Aniyikaye Oluwaseunfunmi, 40 years old and unnamed person were found and bagged by the rescue team, while rescue and recovery efforts are still ongoing as at the time of filing in this report.

When contacted, the Lagos General Manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Muazu Sambo explained that preliminary investigations revealed that the passengers were not wearing life-jackets as at the time of the boat mishap.

In his words, “I am tired of the behaviours of passengers in most of our jetties. Many deliberately refuse to put on life jackets when given.

“The Ikorodu accident revealed that many didn’t have life jackets on. Aside not wearing life jackets, the boat ride occurred at night despite our ban on night trips for ferry operators.”