Three members of the same family are among the seven people that died in a boat mishap at Zhigiri village in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State last Sunday evening.
Among those that died were two wives of one Mallam Muazu Babangida and one of his children. The identities of the others are yet unknown.
It was learnt that the accident occurred when the deceased were traveling to Dnaweto village for a naming ceremony in a boat.
As at the time of going to press, six of the bodies had been recovered from the river while the remains of the 7th victim has not been found. The deceased have been buried according Muslim tires.
THISDAY learnt that the accident occurred because the travelers were not familiar with traveling on the river because the area used to be a dry land until the construction of the Zungeru hydro Electric Dam which had created an artificial river in the area.
A statement by the Coalition of Shiroro Associations signed by its Spokesman Walis Saba made available to newsmen in Minna yesterday confirmed the incident.
“This is one of the social upheaval occasioned by the construction of the dam” Saba said in the statement before asking HYPPADEC to “as matter of urgency respond to this devastating incident by providing safety measures including life jackets to the villagers”
Also speaking on the issue one of the Co- Conveners of the Concerned Shiroro Youths, Comrade Yussuf Abubakar Kokki described the incident as “very sad,” pointing out that the coalition has severally raised petitions to government on the dancers of the dam without any response. Kokki reiterated the decision of the coalition to drag the government and the construction firm to court “if the needful is not done.”
Credit: This Day