A tragic boat capsized on the Kumadugu/Yobe River has resulted in the feared deaths of 25 passengers, with 14 others still missing.
The overloaded vessel sank on Saturday evening around 7:48 p.m. while traveling from Adayini in Jigawa State to Garbi in Yobe State, carrying approximately 52 people.
Mohammed Goje, Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), attributed the accident to overloading and poor visibility on the river.
He reported that, of the 27 initially declared missing, 13 have been rescued through a joint effort involving SEMA teams, security agencies, and local fishermen.
Search operations continue for the remaining 14 individuals.
The passengers were primarily returning from fishing, farming, and trading activities in the border community.
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni described the incident as “painful and distressing” and has directed immediate medical and logistical support for survivors being treated at Nguru General Hospital and other facilities.
The state government has pledged ongoing support to affected families and committed to continuing thorough rescue operations along the river.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
