No fewer than 14 persons, mostly women, have lost their lives after a boat conveying over 100 wedding guests capsized in Kebbi State.
The tragic incident occurred on Sunday at Gumbi village in Yauri Local Government Area of the state as the victims were returning from a wedding ceremony.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the passengers had accompanied a bride to her husband’s residence in Gwarzo village, Ngaski Local Government Area, when the wooden boat overturned mid-journey, throwing occupants into the river.
Residents said more than 100 passengers were crammed into the ill-fated vessel at the time of the accident.
Of the 14 confirmed dead, 13 were women while one was a child. Local divers and community members reportedly rescued several survivors, while the bodies of the deceased were later recovered.
The Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, attended the funeral prayer and condoled with the bereaved families, the Yauri Emirate and the people of the area.
Represented by the Chairman of Yauri Local Government Area, Abubakar Shu’aibu, the governor urged the families to accept the tragedy as the will of God.
“I appeal to you to accept this in good faith, bearing in mind that nothing happens without the knowledge of our Creator. God does what He wants at the time He wants, and nobody has the right to question Him,” the governor said.
He also prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased and for Allah to grant them Aljannatul Firdaus.
All the victims were buried in accordance with Islamic rites on Sunday.
The latest mishap adds to the growing list of boat accidents recorded in riverine communities across Kebbi and other parts of the country, raising fresh concerns over passenger safety, overloading and the use of life jackets along inland waterways.
Residents of the area lamented that boat mishaps have become recurrent, particularly during festive gatherings, market days and social ceremonies when large numbers of people travel across river channels.
Efforts to reach officials of the state emergency management agency for comments on safety measures were unsuccessful as of press time.
The recurring tragedies have renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations and mandatory use of life jackets to avert further loss of lives along the riverbanks.
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