The Kwara State Government advised boat operators on Sunday to follow safety measures following the sad boat accident that killed 37 traders on the Gbajibo River last Thursday, noting that the tragedy occurred within Niger State’s borders.
Even as the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, sent heartfelt condolences to the families of the Gbajibo boat victims, urging “boat operators and passengers to adhere to safety regulations for the good of all,” he described a culture of not using safety gadgets provided by the government as painful and unacceptable.
Speaking in a telephone conversation, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, acknowledged the incident but stressed that it did not occur in Kwara.
“The accident happened on Thursday evening while the traders, who had come to trade in Gbajigbo Mudi, were returning home. It happened in Niger State, and all the victims’ bodies recovered from the river were buried in Niger State. That was the reason we kept silent on it,” Ajakaye said.
According to reputable reports, the traders had just attended a weekly market in the area and were on their way to their towns in Niger State when the disaster happened.
The boat, which was apparently designed to transport approximately 100 passengers, was believed to be overloaded.
The situation was exacerbated by the river’s high water level, which had spilt its banks.
A former chairman of Kaiama Local Government, Mahmoud Salihu, also confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation on Saturday.
He said, “The boat accident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Thursday after the traders closed from the market in Gbajigbo Mudi and were returning to their various communities in Niger State when the tragic incident happened.
“Thirty-seven corpses were recovered from the river, while many others were rescued. The cause of the accident can be attributed to the overloading of the boat, and the increased water volume also contributed.”
Salihu further stated that the current Chairman of Kaiama Local Government, Abubakar Abdullahi, and the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar, were present in the community to express their condolences and support.
Chronicle NG’s attempts to acquire confirmation from the state police command were futile, as several attempts to contact the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, failed, while calls and messages to the state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, went unanswered.
On October 4, 2024, a vessel transporting guests returning from a Maulud celebration in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State collapsed, killing over 200 passengers.
