• Malami mourns, condoles deceased families
Police in Niger, yesterday, confirmed that 26 bodies have, so far, been recovered from the ill-fated boat that capsised in Tungan Mairakumi village of Burgo Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Mr. Adamu Usman, who confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), yesterday, in Minna, however, said that 26 other passengers had been rescued out of the 150 passengers on board the boat.
“We are still searching for the remaining 98 passengers.
“On May 26, at about 11.18hrs, one Alhaji Garba Wara, of Malale village, reported at Marine Police station Kainji, that a boat belonging to one Alhaji Dangoma of Malale village, conveying 150 passengers capsised on River Niger.
“A joint team of Marine Police/local fishermen was dispatched for search and rescue.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the boat took off from Tungan Mairakumi village with 150 passengers on board on its way to Wara market in Kebbi.
“The boat capsised around Tungan Na-Ilo village and, so far, 26 persons were rescued and rushed to General hospital in Wara Local Government Area of Kebbi.
“So far, 26 died and we are still searching for the remaining 98 passengers,’’ Usman said.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has condoled the families of those who lost their lives in the boat mishap.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, yesterday, Malami sympathised with the families, government, and people of Kebbi State over the incident, adding that the news of the ugly incident flung him into great grief.
While praying for the reposed of the souls of the deceased, the AGF, who described the incident as unfortunate, prayed for the speedy health recovery of those rescued.
