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IYCMI: Tinubu Orders Investigation, Mourns Victims of Kwara Boat Accident
President Bola Tinubu has expressed sadness over the boat accident in Kwara State on June 13, 2023. The accident claimed the lives of at least 18 people, including wedding guests who were travelling to a ceremony in Egbu village, Patigi Local Government Area of the state.
RNN earlier reported that at least 103 people were killed in a boat accident on Wednesday in Kwara State. The boat was carrying passengers from Jebba to Oyun Local Government Area of the state when it capsized.
The President also ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. He said he was “determined to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.”
The boat accident is the latest in a series of tragedies in Nigeria in recent months. In April, a train was attacked by bandits in Kaduna State, killing at least 80 people. In May, a building collapsed in Lagos State, killing at least 44 people.
The President’s statement comes as Nigeria faces several challenges, including insecurity, economic hardship, and political instability. The boat accident is a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to disasters, and the need for urgent action to address these challenges.
In other reports, the Kwara State Police Command has released a detailed account of Monday’s boat mishap that killed over 100 persons.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday in Ilorin by the spokesman of the command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, the unfortunate boat accident happened in the Patigi Local Government Area of the state at about 0300 hours on June 12, 2023.
He said information was received by the Divisional Police Officer of Patigi Divisional Headquarters to the effect that a boat accident occurred around the River Niger axis.
“The Commissioner of Police Kwara State, Paul Odama, immediately after receiving the information, dispatched a team of officers to join others and other locals already on their way to locate the exact spot the boat accident happened in the rescue efforts.
“The boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from a village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu Village and Dzakan Village, all within Patigi local government area.
” All efforts to draw the attention of the villagers hosting the wedding ceremony for assistance by the persons in the boat proved abortive, leading to the deaths of about one hundred and six people, ” the spokesman added.