Four Perish In Lagos Boat Mishap

Three siblings and one other have died after a boat suddenly capsized in transit late Sunday evening in Lagos state.

The yet to be identified victims were said to be cruising to their destination wen the high current swept the boat away before it capsized.

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, confirmed this on Monday, while commiserating with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the mishap.

Raising a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ on the matter at a sitting presided over by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, the representative of Kosofe Constituency II, Femi Saheed, described the incident as “unfortunate.”

According to Saheed, “four people lost their lives with three of the dead being from the same family.

“It is a tragedy we must not experience again.”

“We should call on the government to direct all relevant agencies including the Lagos State Ministries of  Waterfront and Infrastructure Development, Waterways Authority, the Environment, to make sure drainages and canals are cleared especially now that the river banks are high so water can flow freely,” he moved.

He also moved that the Ministry of Information and Strategy should create awareness on the use of life jackets and how boats should not be overloaded.

Supporting Saheed’s prayers, his colleague, Richard Kasumu, noted: “The call is very necessary, especially at this time when we are having incessant flooding in some parts of the country.

“We should also call on the Local government chairmen to make sure drainages in their jurisdictions are cleared.”

In another development, the House read for the second time the ‘Human Fertilisation and Surrogacy Regulatory Authority Bill’.

The Bill is to regulate the clinical processes for human fertilisation and surrogacy, prohibit certain practices in connection with embryos.

The Bill was, thereafter, committed to the House Committee on Health Services to report to the House in two weeks.