By Desire Emmanuel
Twenty five persons have been confirmed dead while 14 others are missing as a boat carrying 52 passengers capsized at a community in Yobe State.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday night and involved a canoe conveying the passengers travelling from Adiyani town in Guri Local Government Area of Jigawa State to Garbi town in Nguru Local Government Area of Yobe State.
It was gathered that the passengers were returning from fishing and farming activities when the canoe capsized midway across the water channel in Yobe.
The accident was announced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which was carrying out rescue operations alongside the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, as it added that 14 passengers had so far been rescued.
NEMA said in a statement: “As at the time of reporting, 25 persons have been confirmed dead, while 13 persons have been successfully rescued through the combined efforts of emergency responders and community volunteers. Fourteen persons remain missing, and search and rescue operations are still ongoing.”
Various state governments in the Northern part of the country have always expressed concerns over the activities of boat operators who always overload their boats and embark on journeys without life jackets.
