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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 27 May 2021

Source: BBC

'I sabi swim na wetin save me' - Nigeria boat accident survivor

Pipo gather for di Niger River as rescue workers try recover victims Pipo gather for di Niger River as rescue workers try recover victims

One of di survivors from Wednesday boat accident wey happun on Wednesday for Kebbi State say na her ability to swim ability to swim na im save her.

Aisha Usman like many of di passengers dey go market for Malele town wey dey under neighbouring Niger state before di unfortunate accident happun few hours into di journey.

Authorities for Kebbi tell BBC say divers and emergency agencies dey currently work to try to save as many of di passengers.

"Wetin save me na say I sabi swim I for no make am but I lose everything wey I carry enter di boat."

"Na market we bin dey go for Malele town and wetin happun na just destiny because no be di first time wey di boat driver dey fill di boat."

"I no get any injury and I dey house now with my pipo, I dey pray say make dem rescue more pipo."

Area manager for National Inland Water Ways for Kebbi state, Yusuf Birma tell BBC say wetin happun na clear case of over loading and no be today dem dey warn di boat operators to stop am.

"We dey warn dem about over loading several times and also since na wooden boat at least after every 5 years make dem change am."

"Di pipo wey dey inside di boat fit reach 100 and motorcycles also join plus oda materials wey e carry, so no be small thing."

Mr Yusuf say his officers and local divers still dey di river dey try rescue more pipo as at Thursday morning.

"So far we don recover 5 dead bodies and many oda pipo still dey miss, our officers and local divers still dey dia now dey try rescue more pipo."

Di manager say di problem na only one rescue boat dem get and dey beg goment to add boats for dem in order for prompt response and save more lives anytime dis kain accident happun.