Boat accident: 'Govt has abandoned search for victims'

The family of the late 35-year-old Isaac Akere, have said they were abandoned by government agencies and left to search for the body of the deceased after he was reported missing in the Ikorodu boat accident.

 A representative of the family and uncle to the deceased, Bolaji Akere, told PUNCH Metro that the family, after deploying fishermen to the site of the incident, recovered Isaac’s corpse on Saturday morning.

The News Agency of Nigeria had quoted the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority, Mr Olayinka Marinho, on Sunday, as saying the remains of the late Isaac had been recovered by the agency.

Our correspondent had reported on Thursday, that a commercial boat, conveying about 21 passengers from Ebute Ero, Lagos Island to Majidun, Ikorodu, had capsized midway after its hull hit an object.

Rescue officials who responded to a distress call, were however able to save 12 of the victims while eight were reportedly brought out dead.

The Akeres, had however said Isaac had not been found, but that they had seen the body of his fiancee, Foluke Yeye, at the Ikorodu mortuary where the police took the corpses.

The late Isaac was to be wedded this week Saturday before he and his would-be bride drowned in the accident which happened on Wednesday evening.

Both Isaac and Foluke reportedly parked their car at the Majidun jetty in the morning before taking the boat to Ebute Ero, for work, and were returning in the evening when tragedy struck.

The Akeres were said to have launched a search for him on Thursday after they found his white Toyota Corolla, parked at the Majidun jetty.

Bolaji said, “We were abandoned by the government rescue agencies. Recovering Isaac’s corpse was due to our effort alone. They did not believe us when we said Isaac was still in the water. We had to engage all those fishermen to do the search on Thursday. It wasn’t until Saturday morning, around 1am, that the fishermen discovered Isaac’s body around Oworonsoki.

 “This is really sad news for the family because he has an aged father and mother and he was the bread winner of the family; it is a matter of life and death for them right now. He and his wife were to be married on Saturday.”

When our correspondent called the Public Relations Officer of LASWA on Sunday to react to the family’s allegation, her line was not reachable.

The spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, South West Zone, Ibrahim Farinolye, while condoling with the family said the owners of the boat had been told to give the remains of the late Isaac to the family for burial.

“We have asked Bell Marine Services to hand over the body to them instead of giving it to the hospital and then complicating the process of the burial. It is the right of the family to have access to the body of their relative. This is part of humanitarian services, and it is also to cushion the effect of the trauma they have suffered while searching for him,” he said.