Delta boat mishap: 18 rescued, 4 still missing ― Delta Police Command

MORE details are emerging from the boat mishap on the evening of Saturday, March 9 near Ebrohimi in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Tribune Online had earlier exclusively reported that 22 persons were involved in the mishap among which were security personnel and no INEC official or ad hoc staff as widely reported by some online media.

Update on the incident on Monday has revealed that three policemen were onboard the ill-fated boat, but had been rescued along 15 folks from communities in the local government.

The incident occurred along the waterway at Ureju community, near Ebrohimi in Warri North shortly after the governorship and State Assembly elections in the state on Saturday.

The Delta State Police Command, on Monday, confirmed the development in a statement made available to journalists in the state.

The Acting Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mr Chuks Oresewezie, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), however, said that rescuing operation was still ongoing for four missing persons onboard the boat, adding that no INEC official or NYSC member was involved in the mishap.

ALSO READ: INEC declares Okowa winner of Delta governorship election

“The report available to the Command reveals that on the 9/3/2019 a boat conveying twenty- two (22) passengers, three (3) Policemen and nineteen (19) members of the community returning from Ward 3 Ebrohimi to Koko Jetty after the elections, at about 0120hrs, capsized along the waterway at Ureju community.

“Eighteen passengers including three (3) Policemen and fifteen (15) natives have been successfully rescued, while four (4) passengers are still missing, two (2) of the rescued passengers have been rushed to the Oghara General Hospital.

“No INEC official or NYSC member was involved in the boat mishap as earlier rumoured.

“The search for the missing passengers is still in progress,” he stated, adding that the Commissioner of Police Delta State Command, CP Adeyinka Adeleke was committed to ensuring safety and security of lives and property in the state.

It will be recalled that INEC Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in charge of Delta State, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, had, on Sunday, disclosed that none of his regular or ad hoc staff was involved in the boat mishap in Warri North Local Government Area.

Omorogbe had said “I understand that my staff members are not involved; they were all safe and the ad-hoc staff were safe.

“The actual details have got to me right now. And I don’t think the mishap affected the materials because it happened later in the day, from what I know.”