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•How I helplessly watched my 5 children drown, by grieving man
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Pastor Promise Ayayi, from Ngo town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, will remember January 8, 2024, for as long as he lives. It was the day he saw five of his family members (four children and a grandchild) and other passengers drown in Bonny River without rescuing any of them.
•Victims about to be interred at the shores of Amariaria
The unfortunate boat mishap reportedly happened around the area between the anchorage close to the Shell Administrative Building in Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal (BOGT) and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) loading jetty, on Bonny Island. Ayayi said himself, his family and other persons were returning from Andoni to Bonny after the Yuletide celebrations when the unfortunate incident occurred. According to the devastated man, other passengers onboard his wooden boat were those that could not afford transport fare to their base in Bonny.
It was gathered that about 25 persons were onboard the local wooden boat powered by a single 25HP Yamaha engine. Daily Sun gathered that 14 persons, including the boat owner (Ayayi) and his wife, Mrs. Rose Promise, were later rescued after the canoe capsized, while 11 passengers, including his five children, went missing in the water.
It was learnt that the casualties were five children and six adults. All passengers on the boat were natives of different communities in Andoni LGA resident in Bonny LGA.
It was also gathered that, while travelling, the boat was rocked by a heavy wave close to NLNG, which divided and destroyed the big wooden boat. The boat owner said, when the unfortunate incident occurred, there was no rescue team to save the passengers onboard the boat.
He said a rescue team came hours after the accident but 11 passengers had already drowned, while the rest were rescued.
His story: “We went to Andoni to celebrate Christmas with my people. So, on the way coming back, on Monday, January 8, I carried people who did not have money to pay for transport and my family members.
•Longjohn talking to owner of the boat, Ayayi, and other settlers
“Incidentally, our boat capsized in front of the LNG were there was no rescue. So, about 11 people died. And out of that 11 people, five were my sons and daughters; five were my children.”
The traumatized man said he had lost all hope with the death of his children and loss of the boat, which was his only source of livelihood.
“So, I lost everything and there is no way for me to survive. Everything in my life: phone, money I will use to survive, my boat and other things, my business, children all have gone.
“I don’t know where to start. In my presence, my children died. In my presence, my passengers died. In my presence, the people that survived with me tried to rescue other passengers, but no way,” he lamented.
He, however, cried out for help to the governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, the chairman of Andoni LGA, Erastus Awortu, and Bonny LGA chairman, Dame Anengi Claude-Wilcox, following the demise of his five children.
“I want the state government and Andoni Local Government to assist me and to forgive any sin I have committed.”
Meanwhile, Fubara has expressed grief over the boat mishap. The governor sympathized with the families of the victims and the survivors of the disaster.
Fubara assured them that his administration would continue to work to ensure that travelling on the sea routes becomes safer for travellers and riverine community dwellers.
He said: “I commiserate and condole with families of the victims of the boat accident that led to the loss of lives, and near death experienced by our brothers and sisters that were involved in the boat mishap.
“It is, indeed, a very unfortunate and sad incident and we pray that God shall give all of them the strength to bear the loss and speedy recovery to those who survived. As a government, we will continue to work to ensure that such threats against safe travelling on our sea routes are tackled.”
Similarly, the chairman of Bonny LGA, Claude-Wilcox, paid a condolence visit to the victims of the accident. A community source, Mr. Godswill Jumbo, said the council boss was represented by her deputy, Omoni Longjohn.
He said, during the visit, the Bonny LGA boss commiserated with the families of the deceased at Amariaria fishing settlement and Agiokolo 2 community, both in Finima community in the area.
The council chairman noted that though the victims were natives from different communities in Andoni LGA, they were residents of Bonny LGA. She commended the leadership and people of the Amariaria fishing settlement for their efforts in supporting the families of the victims while comforting the bereaved families and injured victims.
The Bonny council boss prayed that such unfortunate incidents will never happen again and the souls of the departed find rest with the Lord.
In his remarks, head of Amariaria fishing settlement, Sunny Papa Brown, thanked the Bonny LGA chairman for visiting. He said the chairman’s visit and concern was a clear indication of her compassion for the people, condoling with the bereaved families.
Similarly, the state police command said it got news of the boat mishap at about 9:15am last Wednesday. The police public relations officer in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, confirmed the tragedy.
She said: “On 09/01/2024, at about 0915hrs, information received that a local wooden boat powered by a single 25HP Yamaha engine carrying passengers from Ukwa community in Ngo town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, enroute Bonny Island, sank while approaching Amariaria community in Finima town.
“On 08/01/2024 at 2000hrs, on the strength of the information, the O/C Marine, SP Ogarachi Chima, moved to the scene of incident of the boat mishap and discovered 11 passengers feared drowned.”
She added that the police command has ordered investigation into the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, Jumbo said, so far, rescue efforts by fishermen have yielded recovery of nine bodies, while efforts were ongoing to recover the remaining two. He disclosed that the nine bodies were taken to the shores of Amariaria where they would be interred.
