Rescuers comb lagoon for five missing boat passengers

The Lagos State Government has commenced a rescue operation to recover victims of the boat accident which occurred on Monday at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of the state.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Waterways Authority, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Emmanuel stated that a boat with the inscription, “Only God 13”, was travelling from Ebutte Ero to Badagry with 15 passengers when it collided with a wooden boat carrying 10 passengers from Alakija to Imore.

According to him, all 15 passengers on board the “Only God 13” boat were rescued safely while five passengers from the wooden boat sustained injuries.
He however stated that efforts were underway to locate the whereabouts of five other passengers.

The statement read, “A boat collision occurred yesterday evening at Imore on the Lagos waterways, involving two vessels: “Only God 13” and a wooden boat. At approximately 7:00 PM, “Only God 13,” travelling from Ebutte Ero to Badagry with 15 passengers, collided with a wooden boat carrying 10 passengers from Alakija to Imore.

“Fortunately, all 15 passengers on board the “Only God 13” were rescued safely and are waiting at the jetty to collect their goods. However, five passengers from the wooden boat sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention. Regrettably, five individuals remain unaccounted for, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing.”
Emmanuel added that officials of LASWA and National Inland Waterways Agency convened an emergency meeting with Imore community chiefs and the State Marine Officer to coordinate rescue operations and support affected families.

“LASWA, LASEMA, NIWA, Marine Police and local operators are working tirelessly to locate the missing individuals and provide assistance to those affected,” he added.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated in a press release on Tuesday that the injured were rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention.
He however noted that the boats each ferried 16 passengers.

The statement read, “On October 7, 2024, at about 7 pm, a distress call was received at the Ilashe Division reporting that two unregistered passenger boats, each carrying 16 passengers, allegedly collided in the middle of the lagoon at Imore town. As a result, the boats capsized, and the passengers drowned along with their goods.

“Based on the report, teams of conventional and marine policemen, local divers, and other emergency responders were swiftly mobilised to the scene, where 11 passengers were rescued with injuries and rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for medical attention.”

Hundeyin who confirmed that efforts to recover other passengers were going on, noted that an investigation had begun into the incident.
Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority said the manager of the Only God Ferry had been arrested.

The agency in a statement on Tuesday said the ferry fibre boat veered off its channel and collided with the wooden boat due to the obstructed vision of its captain, largely attributed to the load onboard.

The ferry company was also alleged not to have adhered to operational safety standards, and improper navigation procedures.

“As a result of these findings, NIWA has taken decisive action by arresting the manager of Only God Ferry for negligence and failure to comply with safety regulations as stipulated by the authority. The arrest is aimed at ensuring accountability and setting a precedent for strict adherence to waterways regulations to prevent future occurrences,” the statement added.

NIWA added that further legal actions were underway as investigations continued until the management of “Only God Marine” produced the captain of the boat to determine if additional charges would be filed.