7 feared dead in another Kebbi boat mishap

Seven people were feared dead in a boat mishap involving a family returning from a farmland across the River Niger in Yauri local government of Kebbi state, Sunday night.
Chairman of Yauri Boat Builders and Wakilin Sarkin Ruwa (representative of Chief of the River), Abdullahi Takwa, who spoke with Premium Times yesterday, said the family were returning from their onion farm in Rokubalo, a village about four kilometres across the river.
He said a strong wave accompanied by violent wind forced the boat to capsize.
“I just spoke with one of the survivors, who told me that, they were nine in the boat that was struck by ‘strong water wave with strong wind’ while on their way back from the farm, around 6:30pm yesterday (Sunday),” he said.
Chairman of Yauri local government council, Musa Mohammed, when contacted on phone also said the boat was ferrying nine members of the same family.
“Th e boat was ferrying nine family members, two women and seven men, who were returning from their farmland where they went to plant onions.
” He said two survivors had been found while seven were still missing, “but, so far, we cannot say they are dead or not.
What we will do is to declare them missing.
” He said water surge released from Kainji and Jaba dam which increased the water level in the river was part of the cause of the tragedy, which also alters navigation and covers stumps under water