Ilorin— No fewer than 19 children drowned in a boat mishap on Saturday in
Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
River Niger to a traditional wedding in a community in Niger, when the tragedy
occurred.
The boat was reportedly conveying about twenty-one people mostly children, when it suddenly capsized.
A source told reporters' that while two of the passengers were rescued, nineteen
others drowned, stressing that all efforts to rescue other passengers proved
abortive.
According to the source, “as at (Saturday) evening, four corpses
have been recovered from the river. Efforts will resume today
again to ensure that others are also found.
“Men of the Nigeria Police and the State Fire Service were part of the rescue
mission. Unfortunately only two of them survived.”
Alhaji Sulyman Aliyu, the Secretary of the Lafiagi Traditional Council, has
confirmed the incident.
Aliyu said the number of the victims could not be ascertained yet, noting that
there was a conflict in the casualty figures.
He said: “Definitely, they are up to twelve . The figure is between twelve and nineteen that you mentioned.”
Alhaji Aliyu also confirmed that four corpses were recovered on Saturday and
that efforts to recover others continued yesterday.
Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer of Kwara Command, DSP Ajayi
Okasanmi, also confirmed the incident.
He said 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 yet, as the recovery exercise was still ongoing at press
time.
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