Kwara boat mishap: Police confirm 103 dead

The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the death of at least 103 people in the boat mishap which occurred in the Patigi Local Government Area (LGA) on Monday.

The Kwara Police spokesperson, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the sad news in an official statement.

According to Okasanmi, the deceased were all returning from a wedding in nearby Niger State on Monday when the boat that was transporting them capsized.

“The names of survivors will be made public as soon as they are available,” he was quoted by The Punch as saying.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Transition Implementation Committee in Patigi LGA, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Liman, stated that approximately 110 passengers lost their lives in the accident.

“About 110 people died in the boat mishap in our area,” Liman, while quoting from a statement by one Alhassan Bala Mohammed, a community leader in the Patigi area, said.

“We are going to tell you about the tragedy and unforgettable memory that occurred to my people from our village and other neighbouring villages close to us.

“Our village people went to a wedding ceremony in another village called Gboti and the boat carried about 270 people, and almost 110 people were lost,” Liman said on a very sad note.

He further said that from their record, 61 people from his village, Ebu, died in the boat mishap with 38 from Gakpan, four from Kpada, two from Kuchalu and one other person from Sampi.

“This is an unforgettable memory and tragedy in the history of our village,” he said.

On the other hand, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has commiserated with the people of Patigi on the boat mishap which killed many while some other people are still missing.

In a statement on Tuesday, the governor expressed sadness with the reports of the boat accident involving several people, particularly residents of Ebu, Dzakan, Kpada, Kuchalu and Sampi all in Patigi.

“The Governor sends his heartfelt condolences to the people of these communities and those from other states. He prays to Almighty Allah to repose the souls of the victims.

“The Governor, meanwhile, continues to monitor the rescue efforts already mounted, since Monday night, in search of possible survivors.

“He commends the alertness of the Etsu Patigi His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Bologi II and other local government authorities for the efforts to save as many people as possible who survived the mishap,” the statement read.