When a passenger boat in Rivers State’s Bonny Local Government Area collapsed on Sunday night while sailing from Port Harcourt to Bonny, three people—including a toddler—were reported deceased.
It was learned that the storm that occurred at around 5 p.m. on Bonny Island at a location known as “Yellow Platform” was the cause of the tragedy.
Three people were killed when the boat capsized owing to the storm, despite the fact that it was said to have carried 22 passengers from the Bonny/Nembe/Bille Waterfront Jetty in Port Harcourt.
On the phone with our correspondent on Monday afternoon, Grace Iringe-Koko, the state police command spokesman, confirmed the occurrence and called it “sad.”
“There were 22 people on board, but we lost three people,” Iringe-Koko said. After the recovery of two of the bodies, the girl’s body was eventually found.
Although it is quite tragic, 19 passengers were saved. At the Yellow Platform in Bonny, the boat overturned when they were traveling from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island. An investigation is still underway.
Additionally, Israel Pepple, the Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria in the Rivers Commercial District, echoed the police’s assertion that a windstorm was the cause of the tragedy.
Pepple replied, “That’s right. A boat accident occurred yesterday, Sunday. A girl and two adult males were among the people we lost. After leaving Port Harcourt, the boat headed to Bonny, where their remains were found.
In the meantime, the relatives of the deceased have received condolences from the Bonny Local Government officials.
In a statement signed by the council secretary, John Gabriel-Pepple, and released on Monday, Anengi Claude-Wilcox, the chairman of Bonny LGA, expressed her profound sadness over the event.
The Bonny Local Government Council is very saddened by the unfortunate boat catastrophe that happened on the Bonny-Port Harcourt maritime route on Sunday, January 19, 2025, which claimed the lives of two parents and a toddler, according to a portion of the statement.
According to preliminary investigations, the terrible disaster that took three lives was caused by a rapid rise in the oceanic storm that caused the boat to malfunction. Nineteen survivors were taken for prompt medical assistance at the expense of the Bonny Local Government.
“We send our deepest sympathies to the victims’ families, friends, and loved ones. May you be blessed with the strength and resilience to endure this irreversible loss.
He added the council prayed for the rest of the departed souls and participated in their sorrow and suffering.
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However, Claude-Wilcox warned against traveling in choppy circumstances and stated that the council was looking into a passenger boat that was present at the scene but declined to help the victims.
The council was informed, regrettably, that a passenger boat had arrived at the scene of the event but had refused to stop in order to rescue the victims, who were fighting for their lives at sea, the statement continued.
“Contact the council secretary if you have any helpful information regarding the specific boat driver. The Bonny Local Government Council suggests that in order to prevent a recurrence, passengers should be aware of the weather and properly follow the passenger ferry safety regulations.
According to reports, worried Bonny Island residents have persisted in urging the appropriate authorities to improve safety precautions for commuters using the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route and to push the Bodo-Bonny Road contractor to expedite work in order to guarantee its early completion.
