Survivors of the Kwara boat disaster share their harrowing tales of survival, recounting how they na
Three fortunate survivors, who miraculously escaped the tragic boat disaster on June 12, 2023, known as Black Monday, in Kwara State, have shared their accounts of narrowly avoiding death.
The ill-fated boat was transporting approximately 250 wedding guests from Gboti village to Ebu and Dzakan villages, all located within Patigi Local Government of Kwara state. Tragically, shortly after departure, the boat capsized, claiming the lives of 107 individuals.
As the boat set sail, a section near the engine suffered a crack, allowing water to enter and ultimately leading to the capsizing of the vessel.
Despite the passengers' attempts to seek help from the villagers hosting the marriage ceremony, their pleas went unanswered, resulting in the tragic loss of approximately 107 lives.
Official records indicate that among the casualties, 61 individuals were from Ebu village, 38 from Dzakan village, four from Kpada, and three from Kogi State. This brings the total number of casualties to 106, while the number of survivors stands at 144.
Suleiman Umar Muhammed, a community leader and one of the survivors, vividly recounted the incident. He explained that they had traveled to Eboti village to attend a wedding ceremony on Saturday. Describing the scale of the tragedy, he struggled to provide an exact count but estimated that around 180 people were affected, as there were approximately 200 passengers aboard the local boat.
"We boarded the local boat without encountering any issues, but tragically, it split into two shortly after we departed. We found ourselves in the middle of the River Niger when this incident occurred, causing chaos as numerous passengers were thrown into the water.
"While some male passengers managed to swim to safety, the females and children remained trapped in the water," he recounted.
He revealed that despite the boat being overloaded, "the presence of a leak in the boat seemed apparent even before we embarked. If there had been a proper road connecting the villages, we wouldn't have had to cross the river."
"Due to the absence of road infrastructure in the vicinity and the lack of interconnectedness among the three villages, the passengers were compelled to traverse the river," Suleiman clarified.
He further explained that "the ultimate solution lies in establishing accessible roads that connect these communities, as it is not suitable for them to rely on river transportation."
"These villages are situated in a triangular layout, and efforts are being made to construct a manageable road leading to one of the locations, enabling them to utilize it," he elaborated.
Suleiman emphasized, "If there were a network of connecting roads in the area, the people would have taken the road route to reach their respective villages."
Mr. Muhammed Abdullahi, another survivor of the boat accident, shared his harrowing experience, saying, "I was a passenger on the ill-fated boat, and my son was also with me."
He continued, "Within a few minutes of embarking on the boat, disaster struck as it capsized. The female passengers, unfortunately, were unable to survive, while the male passengers managed to save themselves by climbing onto a nearby tree when the incident occurred. There were over 150 people on board the boat, including my son, Usman Abubakar."
"After a short time, around 3 am, the boat suddenly split into two, throwing all of us into the river. I struggled to swim and eventually reached the riverbank. Unfortunately, many others lost their lives in the water, including my son."
"My son, Usman, was just 15 years old, and he worked as a tailor. It pains me deeply because my deceased son was self-employed. He was my pillar of support, assisting me financially in various ways. He played a vital role in our family."
"As a farmer, he would provide me with the funds to purchase agricultural inputs like rice, chemicals, and other necessities. Now that he is gone, there is no one else to lend me a hand, as my other children are too young."
He made a heartfelt plea to the government, urging them to provide assistance by establishing road infrastructure in the area.
"The absence of interconnecting roads between our villages has become a significant challenge. Currently, we have no option but to rely on water transportation to access different locations. The provision of roads by the government would greatly alleviate this issue within our communities," he emphasized.
"We also humbly appeal to our governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to support us by providing essential agricultural resources. As rice farmers, we require tractors for land preparation, as well as fertilizers, herbicides, and high-yielding planting materials," he pleaded.
Ibrahim Mohammed, another community member, shared his own experience, stating, "I hail from Ebu village and I was one of the victims in last Monday's boat accident."
He continued, "We all attended the wedding ceremony in a village called Eboti, under Patigi local government. After the event, we boarded the boat to return to our village, Ebu."
"Merely two minutes after we departed from Eboti, water began seeping into the boat through a leak on its side. Eventually, the boat collapsed. There were approximately 200 individuals on board, primarily women and children, with only a few men present."
"As the boat succumbed to the water, we raised cries for help, but unfortunately, there were few rescuers available during that early hour, between 3:10 to 3:20 am, as some fishermen and boat drivers had already left for home."
"The men who were thrown into the river made desperate attempts to swim towards the riverbank. Some of us managed to escape, while others tragically lost their lives in the water. In my village, Ebu, we mourn the loss of 62 individuals, not including my missing brother, whom we haven't been able to locate until today."
"In the morning following the incident, the lifeless bodies of some victims who had perished in the accident were retrieved from the river. Those of us who managed to escape and swim to the river bank gathered in the village."
"Concerned about the whereabouts of my missing brother, we approached divers at the river bank and requested their assistance in locating him. However, by evening, the search and rescue team returned without any success, informing us that they couldn't find him."
"To this day, he has not reappeared in the village, and his body remains unrecovered in any part of the river. We remain uncertain whether the river carried him to another village downstream."
Providing additional insight, Alhaji Liman Umar Ahmed, a respected village elder in Patigi Local Government, shared his account, stating, "Approximately 180 individuals were affected by the tragic incident."
"We had approximately 200 individuals aboard the ill-fated local boat. Tragically, the boat split into two, causing it to sink before reaching the river bank."
"The male passengers managed to swim to safety, while women and children tragically drowned as the boat sank."
"The absence of a road network in the entire area forced them to rely on river transportation. If access roads had been available, they would not have resorted to crossing the river."
"The main cause of the boat splitting in two was overloading. However, the lack of accessible roads in our area bears significant responsibility. Establishing proper road connections among the communities is the long-term solution, as they should not have to depend on river transportation at all."
"The communities are situated in a triangular formation, which is why they were compelled to use a manageable route," he added.
Responding to the incident, Dr. George Moghalu, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, confirmed the tragic outcome during an on-site assessment. He revealed that a total of 107 people lost their lives, while 146 individuals narrowly escaped death in the mishap.
Dr. Moghalu firmly stated that the accident could have been avoided, emphasizing that those responsible for the boat disaster would face consequences. Preliminary investigations had already uncovered the cause of the accident.
He stressed the importance of life jackets for passengers and boat drivers, as well as the necessity of seaworthy boats. The agency would utilize local resources to enforce operational guidelines on the country's waterways, aiming to prevent any recurrence of such boat accidents in the community and elsewhere in the nation.
He revealed that the initial investigation uncovered several factors contributing to the accident. Firstly, the boat was overloaded with more than 250 people and their belongings. Secondly, the incident occurred on a rainy night, with strong winds causing the boat to drift and collide with a tree.
"These findings emerged during our preliminary investigations," he added.
Dr. Moghalu mentioned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who expressed deep concern about the incident, had ordered a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the mishap.
Governor Abdulrazaq also visited the families of the victims to offer his condolences. During the visit, he disclosed that the government would propose legislation to the parliament, aiming to enforce penalties and fines on individuals who violate safety protocols during water travel in the state.
He made a commitment to promptly supply approximately 1,000 life jackets to be utilized by passengers and boat drivers in the region for water travel.
Leave A Comment