At least 81 bodies have been recovered following the boat mishap that occurred in Wara, Ngaski LGA of Kebbi State, the Sokoto office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced on Friday, May 28.
The unfortunate incident took place early on Wednesday, May 26, when the boat carrying over 150 passengers left Loko Mina in Niger State at about 7.30 am and was heading to a market in Kebbi State according to Mary Noel-Berje, a spokeswoman for the Niger State government.
The wooden boat capsized near Wara, a town on the shores of Kainji Lake, part of the Niger River, said Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for the governor of Kebbi.
While 22 persons were rescued alive, more than 100 persons were feared to have drowned in the incident, The Cable reports.
According to a statement from the Sokoto NEMA office, as of Thursday, 59 bodies had been recovered from the river. It has now been updated to 81.
“Twenty-two more dead bodies have been recovered today, 28 May, following the recent boat mishap which occurred last Wednesday in Wara, Ngaski Local Government Area, Kebbi state,” the statement reads.
“So far, at the time of filling this report, which is the third day since the incident happened, rescuers have successfully removed 81 dead bodies in total from the river.
“It will be recalled, as at yesterday 59 dead bodies were recovered from the water, while 22 other victims were rescued alive.
Search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing, with joint operations involving NEMA officials from Sokoto and Kebbi, the Nigerian Red Cross, security operatives, and residents.
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