Death toll in Yobe boat mishap rises to 29, several still missing

The death toll from the Yobe boat accident in Nguru Local Government Area has increased to 29, up from the 25 earlier announced by the state government.

The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), Dr Mohammad Goje, confirmed the update in a statement issued in Damaturu on Monday.

According to him, four more bodies were recovered from the river, while search and rescue operations are still ongoing as between eight and ten passengers remain missing.

Goje said 13 passengers who sustained injuries in the incident were treated and later discharged from a local hospital.

He explained that preliminary findings pointed to overloading and structural defects as the likely causes of the accident.

Following the incident, Gov Mai Mala Buni directed YOSEMA to work with relevant Federal Government agencies to improve safety measures in water transportation across the area.

Goje said the collaboration would allow for better regulation and enforcement, including the compulsory use of safety equipment.

“Once this is achieved, you can ensure that those that will board a canoe must wear life jackets, and that should be institutionalised,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the boat, which departed from Adiyani in neighbouring Jigawa State, capsized along the Yobe River in Garbi town at about 7:48 pm on Saturday.

More than 50 passengers, mostly farmers and traders, were believed to be on board at the time of the accident. The location of the incident is over 230 kilometres from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. 

(NAN)