“Wen I hear say im phone dey switched off, I know say e don die.”
Na so relative of one of di victims tok as e narrate how e discover say im brother dey among di over 100 pipo wey die for di weekend boat accident for Taraba state, north central Nigeria tok.
“As dem call me say boat wey carry pipo to Binnari don capsize, I immediately carry phone call my brother and wen I hear switched off, I just know say e don die.” E tok.
Mukhtar Mohammed na broda of Bello Mohammed one of di victims of di weekend boat accident.
Di boat leave Mayoreno town on October 28 2023 for Binnari, with passengers wey reach 100 according to pipo wey dey dia. Tori be say di accident happun 40 minutes into di trip.
Eyewitnesses say most of di passengers na women wey dey into fish selling and dia children wey follow dem go market.
Mukhtar bin dey with im broda wey dey sell second hand clothes moment before e board di ill fated boat.
Bello dey among di 16 corpses wey rescuers first bring comot from di river and dem don bury dem according to Islamic rites.
“I call my parents for Gombe to tell dem about di death of my brother and dem give me permission to bury am immediately.”
‘Over 100 die’
Haruna Binnari lose im wife and daughter for di accident and tok say im fish seller wife leave am with three of di four children dem born together.
“E go dey hard for me to find replacement for my wife in terms of her patience and understanding.”
Chairmo of Taraba state waterways transporters maintain say na 60 pipo dey inside di boat wen di accident happun contrary to some media reports.
E add say e get pipo wey sabi swim among di victims wey survive wetin happun.
Efforts to rescue bodies still dey go on at di moment and di chairmo ask families wey neva get any information about dia loved ones to reach out.
Di National Emergency Management Agency, Nema Yola Operations Office on 29th October, 2023, say dem receive report from Taraba State Emergency Management Agency, Tsema of a boat mishap with 104 passengers for Mayo Ranewo community,Karim Lamido LGA. Taraba State.
Dem say dem activate search and rescue operations immediately and out of di 104 passengers, fourteen (14) persons dey rescued and dem bin recover seventeen (17) dead bodies initially.
Both Nema, Tsema and oda stakeholders dey coordinate di search and rescue operation for di unaccounted for passengers.
One too many boat accidents for Nigeria
For October 2023 alone, di Taraba boat incident na di third high profile boat accident wey kill plenty pipo across Nigeria.
On 4th October 2023, di Kebbi state goment confam say na 23 pipo dem confirm dead after boat accident for di state.
Di passengers like dis recent one na mostly all traders wey dey try reach di Yauri weekly market wey dey operate every Monday.
For June 2023, authorities for Kwara state confam di death of 150 pipo for one boat accident wey happun early mor-mor on Monday for Pategi local goment area.
Di boat wey bin carry 300 passengers bin dey return from one wedding for night wen e capsize around 3:00 am due to engine fault.
Sani Haruna na boat operator for Bagwai area of Kano and e tok say di problem wey dey cause accidents na over loading and di fact say no life jackets to save lives afta accident.
Im area Bagwai also experience tragic accident two years ago wey kill dozens of pipo.
“If boat operators go stop over loading e go really go a long way to reducing di accidents wey dey happun.”
“Life jackets na anoda one. As tins stand, e get daily boat passengers wey neva see life jacket for dia life.”
