The victims reportedly drowned after the boat they were on capsized on the river between the communities of Otuan and Ayama in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
A mother and her two children were also killed, as was Chief Lucky Daniels, a 70-year-old Otuan chief and the father of a state journalist.
The boat and the victims’ bodies are still missing, with rescue and search efforts continuing in the Ayama community at the time of filing this report.
It was discovered that the ill-fated boat, which could carry 15 passengers, rammed into a barrier while attempting to berth near the Ayama community.
It was also discovered that the afternoon rainstorms, which forced all passengers to cover themselves with tarpaulins, resulting in decreased visibility, may have contributed to the disaster.
Mr. Domo Timi, a journalist in Bayelsa whose father was one of the victims of the accident, confirmed the incident.
He said “My father was involved in the accident. Rescue teams have been dispatched to check the scene for possible rescue.”
Comrade Ipigansi Ogoniba, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), confirmed the death of six people in a boat mishap on Saturday along the Southern Ijaw waterways.
He stated that he was informed that the accident was caused by the inclement weather.
Out of the initial 13 people who boarded the boat, four adults, including a female youth corps member, and two children died, according to Ogoniba.
He said the 75-horsepower engine boat was on its way to Ayama Ijaw from Otuan, a ten-minute journey, when the tragic incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Ogoniba, on the other hand, blamed the deaths on the passengers in the boats’ failure to wear the recommended safety life jackets.
He claimed it was the fault of the boat’s driver, who was supposed to ensure that every passenger entering the boat received a life jacket before embarking on the journey.
Ogoniba warned that any boat driver who disobeyed the union’s order of “no life jacket for passengers, no movement” would be arrested and prosecuted.
According to Mathew Ngobua, the State Public Relations Officer for NYSC, when the corps received the information, the State Coordinator and other officials left the Orientation Camp and went to the location.
Ngobua said: “The State Coordinator told me that the corps member’s name is on the passenger manifest and the said corps member was not at the lodge.
“However, we will make a detailed report after the search-and-rescue operation or when the body is recovered. We are in touch with the brother of the corps member who also said she told him that she was travelling.”
Asinim Butswat, a spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, confirmed the incident.
He did, however, claim that he was not properly briefed on the number of casualties and what caused the accident.
