JUST-IN: 20 Bodies Recovered, Others Missing In Kogi Boat Mishap

Twenty persons person been confirmed dormant successful a vessel mishap that occurred connected Tuesday astatine astir 4:30pm successful Ibaji section authorities country of Kogi State.

An eyewitness, who is simply a husbandman successful the section authorities area, James Otoga, told journalists that the ill-fated vessel was afloat loaded with radical and it departed Onugwa assemblage successful Ibaji LGA heading to Ilushi market, but capsized leaving a fig of yet-to-be identified radical dead.

“The vessel was afloat loaded with our radical going to marketplace for the archetypal of October celebration. Only 5 survivors person surfaced yet and 20 bodies person been recovered truthful acold and much of our radical are lying lifeless beneath the River Niger.

“Even those who came for a burial successful Onugwa and returning backmost to Ilushi are besides missing, we are yet to corroborate the fig of radical onboard and those who survived,” helium stated.

Confirming the incident, president of Ibaji section authorities area, Hon. Ugeh Emmanuel, done a telephone speech with journalists, described the incidental arsenic the astir disastrous successful the past of the section authorities area, saying galore radical person mislaid their lives successful the accident.

“As I americium speaking with you now, cipher tin authoritatively accidental this is the existent fig of casualties. And, again we tin not adjacent ascertain the fig of radical onboard close from their departure destination.

“This is simply a precise superior accident, the vessel has not adjacent adjacent Ilushi erstwhile the mishap occurred astir 4:30pm. Most of the victims were moving to Ilushi for the cerebration of October 1, which has been a contented successful the assemblage earlier they met their untimely death,” Hon. Emmanuel stated.

Recall that successful the past 1 year, determination person been galore vessel mishaps successful Kogi, Niger and different riverine States wherever galore radical mislaid their lives.

Effort to scope the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebanji and Assistant General Manager (AGM), Corporate Affairs, Suleiman Makama, proved abortive arsenic calls placed to their compartment phones could not spell through.