Safety Bureau commence Investigation into Kwara Boat Mishap
By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said it has commenced investigation into the boat mishap that claimed over 100 lives at Kpada community in Pategi Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Monday, June 12, 2023.
The Bureau said it would be carrying out a lot of fact findings through crew and passenger interviews, as well as working with relevant authorities to determine the probable cause(s) of the accident.
The Director General/CEO of NSIB, Engr. Akin Olateru who disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, said reports gathered thus far revealed that the boat was conveying not less than 250 passengers from Egboti village in Niger State.
According to him, information received also revealed that 106 fatalities have been recorded and the total of 144 passengers have been rescued so far.
Olateru tasked the local, state, federal agencies and other relevant stakeholders to maintain effective cooperation and collaboration so as to ensure transportation safety.
He explained that the purpose of accident investigation is not to apportion blame or liability, but to prevent future recurrence of similar incidents.
The NSIB has also solicited information from the public in form of pictures, video or recording evidences to help assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation.
“We are committed to swift response to accident and serious incident occurrences through our well-equipped Command and Control Centre.
“Accident reporting has also been simplified through our Mobile Application, which was introduced to interface with the public and make it easy for them to communicate with NSIB digitally.
“The NSIB, hereby, solicit information from the public in form of pictures, video or recording evidences to help assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation.
“The Bureau can be reached through info@aib.gov.ng and NSIB on its social media platforms. The Bureau can also be reached on its emergency line +234-807-709-0909“, he said.
The NSIB is an autonomous multimodal investigation agency charged with the mandate to investigate air, rail, marine and other modes of transportation accidents and serious incidents in Nigeria with the aim of identifying the probable causes and proffer safety recommendations that can prevent reoccurrences.
