Lagos boat accident: Hope of recovery fades on two missing passengers

Local divers and emergency responders on a desperate search and rescue operation are yet to recover the remaining two missing passengers of the ill-fated boat accident that occurred on Monday, October 7, 2024, at Imore town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro reported that a boat with the inscription, “Only God 13”, travelling from Ebutte Ero to Badagry with 15 passengers collided with a wooden boat carrying 10 passengers from Alakija to Imore.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Waterways Authority, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that all the 15 passengers on board the “Only God 13” boat were rescued while five passengers from the wooden boat sustained injuries.

While providing an update on the incident, on Wednesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed that emergency responders combing the lagoon recovered three bodies.
“Three bodies recovered today. Rescue operation is still ongoing,” he noted in a terse statement sent to PUNCH Metro.

Meanwhile, the remaining two victims of the boat crash remained unaccounted for after a week of intensive search.

Emmanuel who responded to an inquiry made by our correspondent on Sunday said he had not got any update on the recovery of their corpses.
“None that I am aware of. You can check in on Monday,” he disclosed. When our correspondent called him again on Monday, as requested, he could not pick up his calls nor replied to the message sent to him.

Speaking in the vein, Hundeyin who responded to a similar inquiry said there was no update on the search and rescue operation. “There is no update yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority said the manager of the “Only God 13” ferry had been arrested.

The agency in a statement on Tuesday, October 8, 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 a decisive action by arresting the manager of the “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.