What Happened?
On Monday, the 12th of June, a designated public holiday to commemorate “Democracy Day”, more than 100 people died, many of whom were returning home from a wedding ceremony after a boat carrying them capsized.
The boat was sailing along the River Niger in the early hours of Monday. Measuring 2,600 miles, River Niger is the main river in West Africa, making it a key regional trade route.
Water transport serves as an alternative to traveling via poorly maintained roads, particularly during the rainy season when flooding tends to occur.
Where did this happen?
The accident took place in Kwara, a state in the country’s North Central region.
What’s been said?
A police spokesman, Okasanmi Ajayi is quoted by the New York Times as saying “the boat capsized in complete darkness and it wasn’t until hours later that we were alerted”. He added that it was likely the death toll would increase.
While Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has been seen in Abuja taking in the National Assembly elections, a statement was released by his spokesman expressing his condolences.
What do we know about the victims?
While details are still unclear about the victims, the NYT report quotes a local man by the name of Ibrahim Hassan, a resident of Ebbu who spoke of a particular family that lost seven children with two others still missing.