The death toll from the Yobe boat mishap has risen to 29, while about 10 bodies are yet to be recovered.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mohammed Goje, disclosed this on today while speaking in a Television interview.
According to him, the rescue operation is ongoing, with the expectation that the remaining bodies will be recovered.
He also described overloading as one of the suspected causes of the boat accident.
“The latest update is that 29 bodies have been recovered and buried according to their respective rites. Thirteen were rescued, and those in the hospital have also been discharged,” Goje said.
“So far, the challenge is that we are still searching for the remaining eight to ten bodies, which we presume are part of the boat mishap”
The accident occurred at about 7:48 pm on Saturday, as the canoe—carrying 52 passengers—was travelling from Adiyani in Jigawa State to Garbi community in Yobe.
Most of the victims are believed to be fishermen returning to their base.
The SEMA boss further added that overloading or overuse of the boat could be the reason for the accident.
According to him, “The preliminary report indicates that the cause of the accident is due to the overload of the boat.”
He explained that this could be because the boat was the last one leaving that community in Yobe State, so it was basically a case of overloading.
“But our in-depth assessment indicates that there hasn’t been any accident along that route in a long time. However, overuse, overload, or lack of precautionary measures may have contributed,” he added.
“Unfortunately, there was no single life jacket on that boat,” he said.
Goje said that Governor Mai Mala Buni has directed them to remain on the ground and ensure that the search and rescue operation continues.
He added that the governor has also instructed them to reach out to the sister agency, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and establish communication with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and the Minister of Police Affairs to improve the training of boat operators.
The SEMA boss noted that institutionalising the use of life jackets, ensuring that commercial boat operators comply with the law, and proper policing of the waterfront would go a long way in mitigating boat mishaps.
