7 Die As Canoe Capsizes In Lafia

Seven persons died when a canoe capsized in Gwayaka river in Lafia-East Development Area of  Nasarawa State. The incident is coming about one year after four persons died in a boat accident in Ashangwa, in the same Lafia-East Development Area of the state. A witness said the victims who were mostly irrigation farmers from Kano, were returning from their farms on Friday evening when the incident occurred. According to him, the canoe was overloaded with over 20 passengers and the peddler complained about it and pleaded with them to allow him to make two trips, but the passengers refused. “The man, out of anger abandoned the canoe, then one of the passengers started paddling it across the river, suddenly the canoe capsized in the middle of the river. Seven went missing while others came out alive,” the witness said. He said as at Monday, three bodies out of seven were recovered while they are still searching for the remaining four bodies. The overseer of Lafia-East Development Area, Shuaibu Dahiru Zanwa, who confirmed the incident, said efforts are on to recover the remaining bodies. He said a security meeting with the communities along the river bank, including district and village heads would be held to take measures against recurrence of such incident.