the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says 13 more bodies have been recovered from the wrecked boat that was sailing from mile 2 to Ibeshe, a Lagos suburb, on Saturday.
Zone Coordinator, South West, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
Farinloye said a total of 17 bodies have been recovered so far from the missing victims recovery operations.
“Last night, two more bodies were recovered in addition to the two recovered earlier in the morning.
“With this, a total of 17 bodies have been recovered,” he said.
Farinloye told the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) in an interview that search and rescue operations had ended.
The coordinator said illegal boat operators navigating the waterways beyond official stipulated hours caused these preventable deaths.
He said the act was a serious violation of the rules of the waterways’ guidelines for operators.
“It was revealed that regulatory bodies have tried to root out the illegal operations of small boat operators who barely wear life jackets outside of official hours.
“But they don’t pay attention to the regulations put in place to stop them.
“It was also noted that the use of wooden boats as passenger boats is not allowed.
“But it is only in this strange hour that illegal operators always put the lives of unsuspecting passengers at risk,” Farinloye said.
He said efforts were being made to address the gaps with all stakeholders such as the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, the Nigerian Ship/Ferry Operators Association and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA). ), among others.
(YAYA)