Tragedy as man loses for children in Kebbi boat mishap

Four siblings drowned on Wednesday and another is still missing after a boat taking them, their father and two other passengers across the river to their farm, capsized in Yauri, Kebbi State.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that a search was still being conducted for the body of the missing sibling after the two other passengers were rescued alive.

Speaking to BBC Hausa as monitored by PREMIUM TIMES, the father of the children, Musa Labaran, said the boat was carrying his family to his farm across the river when the accident occurred following strong winds.

Mr Labaran said he made frantic efforts to save the fifth child while the boat was capsizing.

“It was caused by strong winds when we were in the middle of the river and the boat capsized. I couldn’t hold all five of them so I held the one closest to me (a girl) in an effort to save her. I was swimming towards the bank of the river but she (girl) lost grip of me and all my efforts to grab her again didn’t succeed.”

Mr Labaran said despite the quick beginning of rescue operations by people, it took a while before the bodies of the four children were recovered.

“All the four dead bodies recovered were of my children. Three boys and a girl. The fifth one is a boy and he is my son too. His body has not been found yet. They are still searching for the body,” he added.

Last year, 100 people lost their lives to boat accidents in Kebbi State.