37 traders have perished in a boat mishap in the Gbajibo-Mudi community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred on Thursday, less than seven months after a boat accident claimed over 200 lives in the same community.
The traders came to the weekly market and were returning home in Niger State in the evening on the fateful day when the accident occurred.
The sources said that the boat, which had a capacity of about 100 passengers, was overloaded, and the accident was fueled by the overflowing river.
The Chairman of Kaiama Local Government, Abubakar Abdullahi, and the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, are presently on the ground to sympathise with the community.
A former chairman of the local government, Mahmoud Gbajibo, who confirmed the incident to Punch in a telephone conversation on Saturday, May 17, said that 37 bodies were recovered from the river by the rescue team of the community.
“The boat accident occurred at about 6pm on Thursday. The traders closed from the market in Gbajigbo Mudi and were returning to their various communities in Niger state when the tragic incident occurred,” he stated.
“37 corpses were recovered from the river while many others were rescued from the river.
“The cause of the accident can be attributed to overloading of the boat while the water volume also contributed to it.
“Right now, the chairman of the local government and the Emir of Kaiama are in Gbajigbo Mudi community to sympathise with the people.”
