Seven persons have lost their lives in a boat mishap in Zhigiri village of Shiroro Local Government of Niger state.
The accident occurred when the villagers were heading to Dnaweto, a neighboring village in the hinterland for a naming ceremony at about 4pm on Sunday evening.
Salis M Sabo Esq, Spokesperson of the
Coalition of Shiroro Associations (COSA) said, prior to the construction of Zungeru Dam, traveling between these two villages was by land; the people needed no water transportation, as the terrain was majorly dry and motorable.
He lamented the social upheaval caused by the construction of the dam, which has since unsettled the community.
At the time of filing this report, one body is yet to be recovered from the water.
The coalition therefore, called on HYPPADEC to as matter of urgency, respond to this devastating incident and provide safety measures (such as life jackets among others) to help our people adapt to their new way of life and to also prevent future occurrence of this ugly incident as done by the commission to the Warra Community of Kebbi State in the recent boat mishap that occurred.