Thirty-seven traders have died in a boat accident in Niger state.
This was revealed by the Kwara State Government on Sunday in a condolence message.
The tragedy happened last Thursday on the Gbajibo River in Niger State.
Contrary to earlier reports, the Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, acknowledged the incident but stressed that it did not occur in Kwara.
“The accident happened on Thursday evening while the traders, who had come to trade in Gbajigbo Mudi, were returning home. It happened in Niger State, and all the victims’ bodies recovered from the river were buried in Niger State. That was the reason we kept silent on it,” Ajakaye said.
In a telephone interview with The Punch on Sunday, a former chairman of Kaiama Local Government, Mahmoud Salihu, also confirmed the incident on Saturday.
“The boat accident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Thursday after the traders closed from the market in Gbajigbo Mudi and were returning to their various communities in Niger State when the tragic incident happened.
“Thirty-seven corpses were recovered from the river, while many others were rescued. The cause of the accident can be attributed to the overloading of the boat, and the increased water volume also contributed,” the former chairman said.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has sent heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of Gbajibo boat urging “boat operators and passengers to adhere to safety regulations for the good of all.”
