Kogi: CP Onuoha visits boat mishap scene, calls for safety precautions

By Opeyemi Gbemiro

Kogi Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, on Tuesday visited Danbo Village scene of the November 29 boat mishap which claimed 54 lives. The boat accident on the Dambo-Ebuchi waterway of the River Niger in Kupa Local Government Area of Kogi State involved over 160 passengers.

However, only 24 of the passengers were rescued while a yet to be determined number were still unaccounted for.

The visit to the village by CP Onuoha was to assess the situation, Kogi Police Command said in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lokoja by SP Williams Ovye Aya, its spokesperson.

Onuoha was quoted in the statement as urging the villagers to always ensure safety precautions while traveling through water.

Onuoha also delivered the condolences of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to the Mayaki of Kupa Kingdom, Alhaji Dauda Kabir, and the people of KUPA community affected by the accident.

A high-powered delegation, led by the Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Mr Aliyu Yusuf, who represented Gov. Ahmed Ododo, was present at the scene.

The CP assured that the Force Marine Officer had been tasked to conduct a comprehensive investigation to unravel the cause of the accident and provide measures to prevent future occurrences.

He also used the medium to create awareness on the need for safety measures, such as the use of life jackets, and discouraged night journeys to avoid future occurrences.

The House of Representatives had also on Tuesday ordered investigation into causes of the incessant boat mishaps on Nigeria’s waterways in reaction to the Kupa incident.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Unyime Idem (PDP-Akwa-Ibom) on the floor of the House in Abuja on Tuesday.

Presenting his motion, Idem said that Nigeria had witnessed a disturbing surge in boat mishaps in recent times, resulting in the tragic loss of numerous lives.

According to him, the Kogi boat mishap marked the third passenger boat accident in Nigeria within a span of just 60 days.

“In a similar tragic incident, precisely on October 3, 2024, a wooden dugout canoe carrying approximately 300 passengers capsized and sank on the River Niger,” Idem said.

This, according to him, resulted in the loss of nearly 200 lives.

He further said that just last week, a collision between two boats in Delta State, southern Nigeria, claimed the lives of five people.

Idem stated that the reccurrence of these devastating incidents culminated in the recent Kupa boat mishap in Kogi State.

This, he added, underscored the urgent need for improved maritime safety measures in Nigeria.

He stated that maritime experts had identified a combination of critical factors contributing to the alarming frequency of boat accidents in Nigeria.

Idem listed the factors to include inadequate boat maintenance and poor design, overloading, a lack of essential safety equipment and emergency response plans.

Others listed are insufficient training for boat operators and a lack of strict regulatory enforcement.

He expressed concern that if nothing was done to improve safety and emergency response systems, Nigerians would continue to face psychological trauma, economic losses, and untimely deaths.

Adopting the motion, the House, after observing a minute of silence for the departed souls in the Kogi Boat Mishap, urged the Federal Government to proffer solutions to the challenges.

The lawmakers stated that the investigation should be done jointly by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the Ministry of Transportation “and provide insights and recommendations on improving maritime safety.”

The House also urges NIMASA and NIWA to enforce safety regulations and ensure compliance with international maritime standards.

The House mandated the House Committees on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration, and Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority to ensure compliance.

(NAN)