14 Died As Boat Capsizes

14 women of the same family have died in
two separate boat mishaps in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.

Among the women who died, 11 were travelling from Dangunu village to Sarkinpawa, while the remaining three lost their lives in the boat journey from Guni village to Sarkinpawa.

It was learnt that the disaster occurred when the women were returning from the farm on Monday evening when the boats in which they were travelling ran into stormy weather and capsized.

According to eyewitnesses, two men who were in one of the boats were the only survivors as they could not rescue any of the women they were travelling with.

Some of the women who died were identified as Munau, Wara, Fiddausi, Zainab, Najaatu, Ikilima, Fatima, Ladidi, Balaraba and Hafsat.

The police in Niger State confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate and sad.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elikana, who spoke with journalists, said the marine police unit of the force in the area had been directed to furnish the office with details of the disaster.

The marine corps according to Elikana, had also been directed to educate boat owners and operators on the need to adhere to safety rules while sailing.

The senator representing Niger East senatorial district, David Umaru, while reacting, described it as ‘shocking and unfortunate,’ pointing out that the disaster had brought to the fore the suffering and hardship of the people of the area as a result of the activities of the Shiroro hydro dam

Umaru lamented the lack of motorable roads and bridges in the area, adding that “this has shown the urgent need and necessity for the immediate take off of the Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), which was passed into law by the seventh National Assembly and assented to by the then President Goodluck Jonathan.

He explained that the lives of the people in the area were made more difficult by the perennial flooding since the construction of the dam, saying that so far, nothing had been done to make the people cope with their displacement from their original settlement.

He called on relevant authorities to ensure the immediate implementation of the HAPPADEC Act, adding: “We should avoid a situation whereby we have to lose lives always.”