Rescues managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others…reports Asian Lite News
At least 27 people died and more than 100, mostly women, were missing on Friday, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said.
About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighboring state of Niger when it capsized, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu said.
Rescues managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services. No survivor was found about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added.
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes.
According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday’s tragedy struck.
Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation.
Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures.
Also, authorities have not been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often because of lack of availability or cost.
Niger Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago described the accident as “shocking and sorrowful” and directed the state emergency services to assist those affected, according to a statement issued by his office. He reiterated the importance of using life jackets and avoiding overcrowded boats.
Concerns remained about the regular and deadly boat accidents in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country where a number of remote and riverine communities do not have access to good roads, leaving rivers as the only available means of transportation.
It is still not clear what caused the latest accident but emergency services personnel said it could be as a result of overloading, the condition of the boat or a hindrance of the boat’s movement along the water.
Nigerian military kills more terror suspects
Meanwhile, Nigerian military has claimed responsibility for killing a “significant number” of suspected terrorists in a series of airstrikes recently launched to root out criminal groups around the Lake Chad Basin.
Olusola Akinboyewa, the spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, told reporters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja that the airstrikes on Saturday targeted the enclaves of suspected terror groups at the Jubillaram area, located in the southern Tumbuns, near Lake Chad.
A suspected food depot of terrorists in the area was also destroyed during the air operation, Akinboyewa said, noting the military identified the strategic location through “meticulous intelligence efforts.”
The location served as a critical food storage site and a sanctuary for terrorist commanders and fighters, according to him.
Akinboyewa said intelligence had previously linked terrorists in the location to recent attacks, adding aside from killing terrorists on-site during the recent raid, the military also ensured the “complete elimination” of fleeing hostile elements during mop-up operations, using cannons.
“The destruction of the terrorist enclave, including food storage facilities, severely disrupted their logistical operations, while the neutralization of a significant number of fighters diminished their capacity to launch future attacks,” he said, without giving an exact number of suspected terrorists killed during the “successful operation.”
Primarily aimed at combating the Boko Haram insurgency in the region, the Lake Chad Basin is covered by a multinational joint force, which consists of troops from bounding countries, including Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria.
Nigeria, Chad discuss strengthening security
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu discussed enhancing regional security and combating terrorism, according to Chad’s presidency.
The meeting took place on Sunday, two weeks after Mahamat Deby threatened to withdraw Chad from the Multinational Joint Task Force, which comprises troops from countries bordering Lake Chad to combat the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, reports Xinhua news agency.
He criticized the force for its failure to tackle Boko Haram militants, which claimed the lives of over 40 Chadian soldiers in the Lake Province in a recent clash.
During the discussions, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to promote peace and stability in the Lake Chad Basin region.
“In the days to come, the mixed force will have a new face with the aim of exterminating the common enemy,” Ribadu said after meeting the president.
Ribadu delivered a written message from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, expressing “unwavering” support for Mahamat Deby and the people of Chad in the wake of the recent terrorist attack on Barkaram Island, according to Chad’s presidency.
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