-Deborah Akinyosoye
Over two hundred passengers have been feared dead when a boat conveying them capsized at Gbajibo village in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, while fate of the victims still unknown as at the time of filing this report.
Reports has it that media officer of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Habibu Wushishi, in a statement explained that the accident occurred on Tuesday at about around 8.30 p.m.
The Media Officer who added that the boat was conveying the passengers from a local market to Gbajibo village, however, was silence about the fate of the passengers, but said a search and rescue team was already at the scene of the accident.
it was further reports that Wushishi assured that and that developments on the incident would be made known to the public, pointing out that the cause of the mishap was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
The Media Officer disclosed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management was collaborating with the Ministry of Transport, Emergency Management Agency, and the National Inland WaterWays to find out.
Penpushing also reports that Wushishi in the statement emphasized that the Ministry advised residents of riverine areas in the state to desist from night travels and overloading of boats, and always ensured use of live jackets on boats to avert future occurrence.