A boat carrying approximately 100 farmers overturned on Tuesday in the Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing 10 of them and leaving another 10 still missing.
DSP Nafiu Abubakar, the state police command’s spokesman, acknowledged the incident and promised to provide more information later.
The local government chairman , Yahaya Bello, who also confirmed the tragedy, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, said it happened on Tuesday night when a rickety boat transported more than 100 rice farmers to Samanaji, a riverine hamlet in the area.
He said that 80 of the boat’s occupants had been saved, while 10 bodies had been discovered and others were still missing.
He informed them that efforts were still being made to save the other missing people.
Yahaya said: “Almost all the passengers are youths; small boys and girls. We have found four female and six male corpses.
“We have rescued more than 80 passengers and we are still searching for the missing others,’’ he said.
“Prior to the incident, we had called an emergency meeting with the district head of Dutsin Mari and other traditional rulers and leaders of boat operators in the area.
“The meeting was to enlighten them and warn them against the use of rickety, old boats, over-loading and travelling in the night,’’ the LG chairman added.
In an effort to reduce boat accidents in the area, Bello said that LG had delivered 20 new boats in 2022.
