The identities and images of some of the victims’ recovered bodies from the boat tragedy that happened on Monday morning have been released by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).
Murna Ezekiel, one of the fatalities, was from Kebbi State, according to Hussain Ibrahim, NSEMA’s spokesman, while Bilyaminu Kontagora, Dauda Alhassan Kasabu, and Iliya Kpchra Busuru were from Niger State.
Ibrahim said that on Wednesday morning, two more bodies were pulled from the river. As soon as they received the information, he claimed, their names will be available.
Before it capsized due to strong winds and rain, the boat was transporting people from Kasabu village in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State to Yauri, Kebbi State.
He continued by saying that since the event, local divers and boat owners have been conducting search and rescue operations with the purpose of recovering the corpses of victims under the supervision of the agency’s desk officer in Agwara.
He bemoaned the fact that the area’s persistent rain and strong winds had interfered with the search and rescue team’s ability to do their jobs.
He cited the presence of water hyacinth and the area’s powerful waves as the reason for the event.