By Sukari Mohammed And Adisa-Jaji Azeez, Informant247
In 2023, a tragic boat accident in Pategi Local Government Area of Kwara State claimed over 106 lives. In response, the state government distributed 1,000 life jackets to boat owners to prevent future tragedies.
However, findings in this investigation by The Informant247’s Sukari Mohammed and Adisa-Jaji Azeez reveal that boat owners are selling these life jackets to motorcycle riders and farmers for non-aquatic uses.
With the state government, also, failing to set up a body to monitor transport travels as promised by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, passengers were left at risk, leading to another boat accident that claimed at least 42 lives.
Bako Muhammed, a boat rider, had just returned from one of his trips across the river to Niger State when he was approached by this reporter on September 26, 2024. His loading point is the riverine community of Kpata Gbaradogi in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State
When this reporter asked why his passengers were not wearing life jackets, Bako Muhammed, a bit hesitant, replied that they did not have enough to distribute.
“There are not enough life jackets for all the passengers, so we don’t give them out. I only give them to passengers who specifically request them,” he said.
In June last year, The Informant247 reported how over 100 passengers returning from a wedding event died after the wooden boat ferrying them capsized in Egbu village in the state.
The victims — including women and children — were said to be returning to their home in Patigi from Egboti, a community in Niger State.
The lack of life jackets and the failure to regulate passenger loads were cited as contributing factors by eyewitnesses involved in rescue efforts. The government was urged to provide life jackets and create a task force to regulate passenger loads to prevent similar incidents in the future.
President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, during a commiseration visit, stated that his administration would set up a body to oversee water transportation in the state.
He added that the state government would provide at least 1,000 life jackets to the local government to prevent future tragic boat accidents. Two months later, he handed over the promised 1,000 life jackets to the Etsu Patigi, Alhaji Umar Bologi II.
However, in early October 2024, more than a year after authorities promised to establish a body to oversee waterway travel and deliver life jackets to riverine areas, another boat capsized while transporting passengers from Gwajibo Mudi in Kwara State, returning from an Islamic religious festival. The boat capsized in the rural Mokwa district of Niger State.
Officials said the locally made wooden boat, which had a capacity of 100 passengers, was carrying about 300 people without life jackets when it overturned.
Boat Owners Selling Life Jackets
Just a few months before the October accident, the Emir of Patigi in Kwara State, Umar Ibrahim Bologi II, had lamented the misuse of life jackets distributed to boat owners to prevent accidents on the state’s waterways.
Umar said that instead of using the life jackets to protect passengers, boat owners had abandoned them, allowing motorcycle riders and farmers to use them for unrelated purposes.
Further investigations by The Informant247 revealed that most of the life jackets had been sold to motorcycle riders and farmers, who now used them as part of their work attire.
A motorcyclist from Niger State, who was wearing a life jacket while working when approached by this reporter, said he had purchased the life jacket from boat owners.
“They said most of their passengers don’t use them. Even when they offered them, passengers refused. So, they are selling them. And as you can see, it’s more useful for us to navigate when traveling at high speeds,” he told The Informant247 though he refused to give his name.
However, for passenger Muhammed Hassan, who was the only one wearing a life jacket during this reporter’s visit to Kpata, he said he had bought it on his own.
“I bought a life jacket from an individual in Patigi,” he said.
The chairman of the Boat Owners Association at Gbaradogi, Mallam Tswako Muhammed, said that most of the life jackets are being sold by people from the upland areas, not riverine communities.
“Many of the life jackets are being sold by individuals from the upland community, who do not primarily use them because they are not part of the riverine community. They just distribute them by communities, and some people do not really need them. Those are the people selling them,” he said.
He added, “Here, the government provided nearly 50 life jackets, but only 30 remain, which is insufficient for our needs.”
However, he refused to comment on the whereabouts of the remaining 20 jackets.
A student at the Elite College of Health Technology, Patigi, who was preparing to travel to Kaduna via Niger when approached by this reporter, also expressed concerns about water transportation safety.
“Since I began my studies in Patigi, I have only been provided with a life jacket once,” said the student, who also requested to remain anonymous. “Despite my repeated requests for a life jacket for safety, I often find myself without one.”
She appealed to the government for improved safety measures, emphasizing that the lack of life jackets poses a significant risk to passengers’ lives.
Poorly Made Boats, Overpopulation, Leading Causes Of Boat Accidents
Experts say that most boat disasters in Nigeria in recent years are increasingly attributed to regulatory failures, with overloading and poorly maintained boats as significant contributing factors.
Boat makers Abubakar Ahmadu and Issa Muhammed shared with this reporter how they construct most of the boats in use across Patigi.
“We primarily use planks of wood, which we source from Niger State and parts of Patigi at affordable prices. The construction involves using two types of nails: three-inch and four-inch nails to secure the wooden planks together. We use saw blades for precise cutting,” they explained.
“After that, for the auto-operated boats, we install a machine that we purchased in town. The pricing of the boats varies based on size, the material used, and the craftsmanship involved.”
When asked if there was a quality assurance team for the boats, they responded negatively.
“No, there is nobody coming here to inspect what we make. We use good materials, quality planks, and ensure the machines we use are in good condition,” they said.
Governor Failed To Set Up Water Travel Body Despite Promises
There was hope when Governor Abdulrazaq, after last year’s disaster, promised to establish a body to oversee water travel in the state. This, experts said, would improve safety, reduce overloading, and prevent the non-use of life jackets, which are the leading causes of accidents.
However, more than a year later, the government has yet to take any action. According to residents, the lack of safety enforcement led to another disaster that claimed the lives of at least 42 passengers.
When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, explained that the state government had sent a team to study the Lagos model, during which extensive discussions took place with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and other agencies.
He added that following this, the government had written to NIWA regarding the way forward, considering that NIWA is the body empowered by national law to regulate and coordinate water travel.
Ajakaye further stated, “Whatever we put in place at the state level is only supportive of NIWA, which is the body that can enforce safety measures on our waterways.”
This report was produced with support and funding from Civic Media Lab