By Peace Udugba
The death toll from the boat mishap in Yobe State has risen to 29, while rescue teams continue searching for 8 to 10 bodies still unaccounted for.
The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mohammed Goje, made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television on Monday.
Goje confirmed that 29 bodies have been recovered and buried according to their respective rites, while 13 individuals were rescued, treated, and discharged from the hospital.
He identified overloading as a likely cause of the accident, stating, “Preliminary reports indicate the boat was overloaded. It was the last boat leaving the community that day, which likely led to the excessive number of passengers.”
Goje added that there had been no recent incidents along the route, suggesting that the tragedy could also be linked to the overuse of the boat and lack of safety measures.
“Unfortunately, there was no single life jacket on board,” he noted.
The incident occurred around 7:48 p.m. on Saturday. The canoe, carrying 52 passengers, was traveling from Adiyani in Jigawa State to Garbi community in Yobe. Most of the victims were reportedly fishermen returning to their base.
