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Boat Mishap: Anger, Blames As Over 100 Wedding Guests Die In Kwara
Monday June 12, 2023, will linger for a long time in the history of the people of Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
While Nigerians were eagerly waiting to celebrate the June 12 Democracy Day declared as a public holiday by the Federal government, tragedy struck in the area as a boat overloaded with 270 wedding guests capsized killing about 106 persons between Niger and Kwara state on the River Niger.
About 144 persons survived the boat accident which occurred at about 3 am according to local authorities and a police report.
The 270 wedding guests were returning from a marriage ceremony at Gboti in neighbouring Niger State to Patigi Local Government in Kwara State when the tragic incident occurred on the fateful day.
According to a police account, 61 persons from Egbu village died in the mishap, 38 from Dzakan village, four from Kpada, two from Kuchalu, and three from Sampi village.
According to DAILY POST, the boat hit a tree amid strong waves leading to the overloaded boat capsizing.
The passengers of the boat, mostly local people, were without life jackets hence the high casualties recorded in the incident.
Chairman, Transition Implementation Committee of Patigi Local Government Council, Mohammed Ibrahim Liman, told DAILY POST in an interview on Thursday that 106 persons died in the boat accident, while 144 survived.
He said the rescue operation had been concluded and the survivors, mostly women and children reunited with their families after medical attention.
Liman disclosed that three villages affected by the incident included Kpada, Ebu and Dzakan in Patigi Local Government of Kwara state, while six persons from two villages in Kogi state also lost their lives.
The Area Manager, National Inland Waterways Authority, in charge of Niger-Kwara areas, Akapo Adeboye, while reacting to the incident, attributed the boat mishap to overloading and turbulent winds.
“This is a very sad situation that is avoidable, because what led to it was due to overloading of the boat by the operators, they want to make more money and overload their boats.
“We have educated them through messages in English, Hausa and other languages spoken in this area, but they won’t listen.
“We even set up a safety unit and when we apprehend any defaulter, we sanction them through payment of fines up to N100, 000.
“Despite all our efforts at making sure that they comply with the safety standards that they must have life jackets, lifebuoys and other safety equipment on board, many of the operators just choose the easiest way out by travelling at night just because they want to avoid our monitoring and safety patrol,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a swift move to avert future occurrence, the Kwara state Governor, Malam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, while on a condolence visit to families of the victims, announced safety measures to be taken by the government on water travels in the state.
He said the government will send legislation to the parliament that will impose punishments and fines for violations of the safety protocol.
Speaking during his visits to Kpada and Duro, the headquarters of Ebu and Dzakan communities whose residents perished in the boat accident, Governor Abdulrazaq said, “measures will be taken as we are having discussions with Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority on enforcement of safety codes. We will also be sending a team to Lagos state on how their waterways law works.
“Our immediate step is to deliver at least 1,000 life jackets to support safe travels on water in the area.”
“In addition to whatever safety measures that are in place, the government will design and roll out some statewide standard operating procedures for water travels to cover issues of boat serviceability, speed and loading limits and wearing of life jackets by all passengers. This will be the new irreducible minimum,” the Governor declared.
In his own reaction, the Managing Director of Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, also blamed the high fatality recorded in Monday’s boat accident on failure of the victims to wear life jackets.
He stressed the need for a law that will make it mandatory for boat passengers across the country to always wear life jackets.
Yelwa also called for a law to restrain boat operators from operating at night, lamenting that the N1.6b life jackets procured last year for the use of boat passengers were not utilised.
“I want to call on the relevant authorities to legislate a law that will make the use of life jackets compulsory for boat passengers, as well as restrain the boat operators from operating at night.
“If the victims had worn life jackets and the accident occurred in broad daylight, the fatality rate would have been very minimal,” Yelwa asserted.
Meanwhile, condolence messages on the tragedy have continued to pour into the communities from prominent Nigerians across the country.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state and former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, among others, condoled the families of the victims, the Etsu Patigi, and the people of the communities, describing the incident as tragic and unfortunate.
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Delta NMA Declares Blessing CEO’s Cancer Report Fraudulent
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Delta State branch, has officially debunked the cancer claims made by relationship influencer Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO.
In a statement on Tuesday, the association revealed that the document is an altered version of an original medical report belonging to a different patient diagnosed with breast cancer.
The statement, jointly signed by NMA Delta State Chairman, Dr. Israel Adaigho, and Secretary, Dr. Usamah Hannah, was sighted by The Nation on Tuesday.
According to the NMA, the viral report was purportedly issued by Xinus Medical Diagnostics and signed by consultant pathologist Dr. O.A. Odigwe.
However, Dr. Odigwe, who is the proprietor of the diagnostic centre, clarified that his facility never issued any report to Blessing Okoro.
The association explained that Xinus Medical Diagnostics is located in Asaba, Delta State not Enugu State as claimed in the circulating document.
The centre was contacted in May 2025 by a doctor from a private hospital in Asaba to conduct a confirmatory histology test for a patient identified as Mbara Deborah, who had a suspected case of breast cancer.
The test confirmed breast cancer, and the original result was issued to the referring doctor on May 9, 2025.
The NMA stated that the document currently being paraded online by the law firm Allen Juris Law is the original report bearing the name Mbara Deborah.
The version linked to Blessing CEO appears to be a doctored copy of this same report.
The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an online histology report purportedly issued to one Blessing Okoro, aka Blessing CEO, by Xinus Medical Diagnostics allegedly located in Enugu State. The said histology report was also alleged to have been signed by Dr. O.A. Odigwe, a consultant pathologist.
“The proprietor of Xinus Medical Diagnostics, Dr. O.A. Odigwe, who is also a member of the Nigerian Medical Association, Delta State chapter, has reached us and offered the following clarification: that Xinus Medical Diagnostics is located in Asaba, Delta State and did not at any time issue any report to Blessing Okoro.
“The centre was contacted in May 2025 by a doctor from a private hospital in Asaba to do a confirmatory test on a possible case of breast cancer for a patient, Mbara Deborah. The test was done and the result issued to the referring doctor as a case of breast cancer on May 9, 2025.
“A copy of that result is the one currently being circulated online by the law firm, Allen Juris Law, with the name Mbara Deborah as the patient. That result from the law firm is the original version issued to the patient through her hospital.”
The NMA said the clarification became necessary because of the way the altered report was allegedly being used to solicit public sympathy and financial assistance.
It urged the public to be cautious and warned against actions that could tarnish the integrity of medical professionals.
The association also called on relevant security agencies to take appropriate steps to protect unsuspecting members of the public.
“The integrity of our association and its members is very paramount and should not therefore be taken for granted.
“We call on the authorities responsible for maintaining law and order to do the needful and save unsuspecting members of the public from being unduly taken advantage of,” it added.
Recall that Blessing CEO recently solicited financial help from the public for the treatment of what she claimed was stage four cancer.
Following widespread backlash and allegations that her medical report had been edited, she made a U-turn, stating in an interview: “I don’t have stage 4 cancer. That was a miscommunication.”
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Abuja Court Jails Boko Haram Food Supplier, Hamatu Modu For 40 Years
Justice Binta Fatima Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hamatu Modu, a major food supplier for Boko Haram terrorists, to 40 years imprisonment for his involvement in terrorism activities.
Modu, who confessed in the open court to supplying food items and information to terrorists, was put on trial by the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
He was slammed with 4- count charges and instantly pleaded guilty to them.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, led the prosecution.
In his judgment, Justice Nyako sentenced him to 10 years on each of the count but due to the plea of the defense counsel, the judge ordered that the 40 years imprisonment should run concurrently, giving the convict opportunity to spend only 10 years.
In another development, Isah Ali, another food supplier also in Borno, was jailed 10 years by Justice Nyako.
His jail term will, however, start three years ago when he was arrested and clamped into detention.
The convict confessed to committing the offence as charged.
Justice Nyako ordered that the convicts be made to undergo rehabilitation and radicalization at the end of their service of the jail terms.
The Federal Ministry of Interior was ordered to determine where the two men will serve their jail terms.
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Just In: Kebbi Assembly Speaker Muhammad Ankwai Passes Away
The Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Usman Ankwai has passed away in the late hours of Monday, 6 April 2026.
Ankwai, who represented Zuru Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was elected Speaker at the inauguration of the 10th Assembly on June 8, 2023.
Details surrounding the circumstances of his death were not immediately disclosed at the time of filing this report.
His death has, however, triggered an outpouring of condolences from fellow lawmakers, political associates, and residents across Kebbi State, many of whom have described him as a dedicated public servant who contributed to legislative development in the state.
Further announcements regarding burial arrangements are expected to be made by his family soon.
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News17 hours agoAbuja Court Jails Boko Haram Food Supplier, Hamatu Modu For 40 Years
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