103 people die as boat carrying 270 wedding guests capsizes in Nigeria

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the victims were returning from the said wedding ceremony when they met their untimely death.

The spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident on Tuesday. He hinted that the names of the survivors would be published soon.

Meanwhile, Patigi, Mohammed Liman, the Transition Implementation Committee Chairman put the number of passengers that died in the accident at 110, contrary to the figures announced by the police.

"About 110 people died in the boat mishap in our area. We're going to tell you about the tragedy and unforgettable memory that occurred to my people from our village and other neighbouring villages close to us," Liman said while quoting from a statement by one Bala Mohammed, a community leader in the area.

"Our village people went to a wedding ceremony in another village called Gboti and the boat carried about 270 people, and almost 110 people were lost.

"This is an unforgettable memory and tragedy in the history of our village," he lamented.

The incident has left the families and loved ones of the deceased as well as their various communities in a mournful state.

On May 10, nine children drowned at Faana in the Ga West municipality of the Greater Accra Region after a boat being paddled by a 12-year-old boy who had no experience capsized. The children were returning from school across the Weija dam when they perished.

The Chief Executive for the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, Patrick K.B. Kumor said that the man in charge of the canoe was unwell and unavailable to ferry the children across the water body and the said 12-year-old boy took his stead and overloaded the canoe with other minors, resulting in the unfortunate accident.