Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has said he is saddened by the boat mishap in Tijana village of Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
In a statement by the president’s special assistant on media, Garba Shehu, Buhari extends his heartfelt sympathies to the families of the dead and the injured.
According to the statement, the incident is more disheartening as some of the victims were reportedly Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“Commending the life-saving work of the first responders and local divers at the scene of the incident, the President wishes the wounded a speedy recovery and success on the search and rescue of some missing passengers on the capsized boat.
“President Buhari calls on the transportation authorities to ensure strict adherence to safety regulations on the nation’s waterways and urges that lessons from this accident should help prevent a future occurrence.
“He assures residents of Niger State that restoring long term stability and peace is a core objective of the Federal Government working with the State government and other critical stakeholders in the local communities.”