16 missing in Sallah eve boat mishap, four bodies recovered

It was a tragic Eid el Kabir in Lagos yesterday following the death of all 16 passengers after their boat capsized in Ojo area Friday night, a few hours before Sallah.

The Eid itself was marred by intermittent rains that began on Friday and continued for several hours yesterday, causing flooding in many areas.

The flooding was so massive that it swept away at least two vehicles at Orile Agege.

The ill fated boat was described as a medium sized W-19 fiber boat.

Neither the boat captain nor the passengers had a life jacket on at the time of the accident, sources said yesterday.

Four bodies had been recovered from the scene of the incident at press time while efforts were on by the search-and-rescue teams of both the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to recover the remaining bodies.

The Lagos Area manager of the  National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Sarat Braimah, and General Manager of Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Damilola Emmanuel, said in a joint statement that the boat flouted the no-night travel ban on Lagos waterways regulation by setting sail at 7:45 pm.

Ferries are allowed to operate only between 7 am and 7 pm operational time in Lagos.
“At about 7.45 pm on Friday, the 8th of July 2022, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) received a distress call of an incident on the waterways,” they said.

“A W-19 passenger Fibre boat carrying 16 people capsized along the Ojo area of the state.
“The boat going from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis broke the waterways rules of late travelling by setting sail at 7.45 pm.

“As the boat set out, the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge which caused the boat to overturn. It is said that all the passengers on board, including children, were not putting on their life jackets.
“The Search and Rescue team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), National Inland Waterways (NIWA) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident but unfortunately could only find the boat after several hours while efforts are still ongoing to locate the victims.
“The boat is currently in the custody of Marine Police. The boat captain is also unaccounted for as at the time of this press release.
“Search and rescue is currently ongoing and I can tell you that four bodies have been recovered. We will update the public on further happening,” NIWA said.
Flood sweeps away vehicles, occupants
Floods took over many Lagos roads as rainfall continued for the second day running.
At least two vehicles, each of which had three occupants, were swept away by the floods in Oyatoki area of Agege,
The vehicles were being driven on Fatoki Street in the area when the waters swept them into a drainage.

Residents and personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and those from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were able to rescue three persons from one of the vehicles, a Lexus SUV.
One other person successfully jumped out of one of the vehicles while two persons were declared missing.
The intermittent rain prevented many Muslims from going for the Eid prayers and others from visiting friends.
The floods caused traffic jams on some roads.
Reports from Benin also spoke of a similar down pour in the city.

LASG sympathises with residents over flash floods
The Lagos State Government sympathised with residents of the state, especially Oko-Oba, Agege, over the heavy flash flooding experienced in parts of the State.
It urged everyone to remain vigilant and cautious.
Environment and Water Resources Commissioner Tunji Bello said in a statement yesterday that the Oko Oba Canal in Agege was being expanded to allow for the containment of more storm water that would reduce flooding in the area.
He added that the contractor handling the expansion project has been slowed down by the intensity of the rains of the past weeks but is committed to its completion.

He warned that Lagos will experience more heavy rains till end of August and urged all residents and motorists to avoid wading  through floods during rain fall.