Boat mishap: 19 drown in Kwara

A boat, conveying about 22 people mostly children, capsized while crossing the river in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara..

No fewer than 19 children have been reportedly drowned in the boat mishap over the weekend

The boat, newsmen learnt, was conveying the victims across River Niger for a programme at a traditional wedding ceremony in a community in Niger State.

A source said that while two of the passengers were rescued, the 19 others drowned and died. According to him, all effort to rescue other passengers proved abortive.

“As at yesterday evening, four corpses have been recovered from the river.

“Both men of the Nigeria Police and the State Fire Service were there yesterday in the rescue mission. “Unfortunately only two of them survived,” the source told newsmen on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu, the Secretary of the Lafiagi Traditional Council, has confirmed the incident.

Aliyu told newsmen that the number of the victims could not be ascertained yet, noting that there was a conflict in the number.

“Definitely they are up to 12. The figure is between 12 and that 19 that you said” he said.

The secretary also confirmed that four corpses were recovered on Saturday and that efforts to remove others would continue on yesterday.

The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara Police Command, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, also confirmed the incident. He told newsmen that the officers of the force and other security agencies had joined the local government council to recover the corpses.

He, however, said that the number of the passengers and the victims could not yet be ascertained as the recovery exercise was still ongoing.