The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has revealed that a tree stump inside the Jabba Dam River caused the recent, fatal boat accident in Mokwa Local Government Area.
Speaking with Punch on Tuesday, September 12, the spokesman for NSEMA, Hussain Ibrahim, disclosed that the state government would assist the families who lost their loved ones with either cash or food items.
Ibrahim revealed that in the process of dredging the Jebba Dam, some trees were cut down such that when the water level rises, the stumps are not noticed.
His words:
“The people stay up on the stream of Jebba Dam and the river was recently dredged to create more space for carrying parcels of the water. In the process of this dredging, some trees were cut down but not completely down, they call them tree stumps inside water.
“So, when the water rises, you will not see these tree stumps. If you begin to move with your boat sometimes you will not see them. The boat had a collision with a tree stump and it was what caused the breakage of the boat and caused it to capsize.”
He also disclosed that the rescue operation had ended and officials of the agency went round the communities to find out if there were persons who were not captured.
