Lagos water transport threatened, another boats sinks, 16 missing

Another boat accident has been recorded in Lagos and all its 16 passengers are missing, creating fears in the minds of the people about the safety of water transportation in Lagos and other parts of the country.

The accident, which occurred on Friday night, is coming barely three days after the unfortunate boat accident around the Ikorodu area leading to the death of two passengers.

Sarat Braimah, Lagos area manager, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.

Braimah said that 16 passengers on board the ill-fated boat were yet to be accounted for.

“At about 7.45pm, on July 8, the National Inland Waterways Authority and Lagos State Waterways Authority received a distress call of an incident on the waterways,” Braimah said.

“A W19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state.

“The boat going from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7.45pm.”

Braimah said that the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge and caused it to overturn.

“It is said that all passengers on board, including children, were not all putting on their life jackets,” she added.

“The search and rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), National Inland Waterways (NIWA) were immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident but unfortunately could only find the boat after several hours.

“Efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims.

“The Boat Captain is also unaccounted for as at the time of this press release.”

He said that the boat was in the custody of marine police.