9 people dead in Lagos boat mishap at Ilashe area

NigeriaTrends | LAGOS — Lagos State Government has confirmed the death of nine persons in a boat mishap that occurred on Sunday (August 20, 2017) in Ilashe area.

A statement by the Managing Director of Lagos State Waterways Authority, Engr. Abisola Kamson, attributed the accident to overloading of passengers on a Banana Boat and operation of illegal jetty.

Kamson said four victims of the mishap who were rescued are already receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, while search and rescue operation was still ongoing.

Breaking news about the Lagos boat mishap

He noted that the mishap had again brought to the fore the need for the National Inland Waterways Authority to respect the recent verdict of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the powers of the State Government to control its intra-inland waterways.

Kamson said: “An unfortunate incident occurred at Ilashe today Sunday August 20th arising from overloading of passengers on a Banana boat taking off from an illegal Jetty which has become a perennial issue of the Lagos State Government to rid our Waterfront areas of illegal operators.”

Kamson on behalf of the Lagos State Waterways Authority expressed sympathy to families of the deceased.

“We sympathize with the families of the deceased as nine lives were lost in the mishap and four people receiving treatment in the hospital.”

He further added that;

“The LASWA rescue team has been on ground and search is still on-going. This brings to fore again the need for NIWA to allow the judgement of the Appeal Court granting Lagos Control of her waterways to take effect without hindrance.”

“It is a matter for regret that ever since the judgement was pronounced, NIWA has ejected all State Water Guards monitoring standards from all Federal owned Jetties. In spite of this, the Government of Lagos State aligns to the safety of citizens on the waterways.”

Kamson encouraged all Lagosians to wear standard life jackets at all times on the Waterways.

Vanguard Nigeria, Daily Post Nigeria, and other Nigerian newspapers also reported this sad event of the boat that capsized.