The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), has said 13 dead bodies have been recovered while 26 people were rescued from the recent boat mishap in Gini village, Shiroro Local Government Area.
A statement by the Director- General of the agency, Alhaji Abdullahi Arah, stated on Sunday in Minna that the incident occurred about 11:45am on Saturday around Kwata, as the boat was heading to Zumba market.
According to the agency, the boat, which was fully loaded with goods and passengers capsised while conveying them to the weekly market.
“We have confirmed a boat mishap incident with 13 bodies recovered while 26 were rescued bringing the total number of people in the boat to 39.”
“Those that were recovered had since been buried and among them were eight women, three men and two children,” he said.
NSENI’s Director of Information and Special Duties,Dr Ibrahim Hussaini, who confirmed the development in a statement said that the boat driver and few passengers were rescued.
Hussaini said that one of victims was admitted at the General Hospital Kuta, and had been discharged.
Niger State government through NSEMA, National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission N-HYPPADEC and NIWA have distributed life jackets to various riverine communities.(NAN)
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.
