Tragedy As Delta Maritime University Student, Staff Dies In Boat Accident -

Coastal News

A student of the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, has drowned in a boat accident along the Warri River.
A caterer attached to the varsity was also reported dead in the private boat accident.

Sources said the ill-fated boat capsized on Friday when the deceased and other passengers were travelling from the university community to Warri.
PUNCH Metro gathered that aside from the two victims, other students who boarded the boat survived.

A student, who survived the accident, said some of the passengers, including locals, did not wear life jackets and did not know how to swim.
The student, who did not want his name in print, noted that the lifeless bodies of the deceased were later recovered by local divers.

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased student, an Ijaw, was buried by his family on Friday, while the corpse of the caterer was deposited in the Warri Central Hospital morgue.

Confirming the incident to journalists, a top official of the university said the boat driver had been arrested and handed over to the police.

The official, who asked not to be identified, said, “The deceased boarded a private boat against the school rule that students and staff should only make use of school-owned boats and any other provided by management to ferry students to Warri.

“It was on their way going that the boat capsized. Unfortunately, one of our students and caterer drowned.
“We don’t know exactly what happened, but the boat driver is already answering questions from the police.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.