By Deborah Nnamdi
A boat reportedly carrying over 200 passengers en route from the Dambo-Ebuchi community in Kogi Local Government Area of Kogi State capsized on Friday on River Niger, killing an unspecified number of passengers.
The victims said to be mostly market women, were on their way to a popular market in Niger State when the incident occurred.
Locals in the area said the boat developed a fault and sank shortly after taking off from a jetty in the community.
We learned that eight bodies had been recovered so far, while search and rescue operations were being intensified to locate the remaining passengers.
Sources in the National Inland Waterways (NIWA) confirmed the incident, saying, the victims were mostly market women from Kogi on their way to a market located in Niger State.
The source added that an investigation into the incident was ongoing, and an official statement would be issued soon.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Williams Aya, did not respond to calls or text messages when
contacted.
