Pastor seeks help after losing 5 children in boat mishap

*Says he was helping people who had no money back to Bonny *As Police begin investigation

Pastor Promise Festus, the owner of the boat that capsized on the Andoni-Bonny sea route, has disclosed that his five children died in the mishap.

Festus, who survived the incident with his wife, however, called for help from the government and well-meaning individuals, stating that he had lost all his belongings in the incident.

It would be recalled that a boat conveying 25 people from Ngo area of Andoni Local Government Area to Bonny LGA capsized on the high sea.

Residents of the area including the survivors said 11 people died in the incident, but other sources said 14 people died out of the number of people onboard.

Festus called on the governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the chairman of his local government area, Dr Erastus Awortu, for help following the unfortunate demise of his five children.

He explained that he has six children and that four of them died in the incident alongside one of his grandchildren.

He disclosed that the incident happened around LNG Jetty on the sea while they were travelling from Ngo Town to Bonny Island after the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The pastor, who has been thrown into deep agony as his five children were among the 11 persons who died in the boat mishap, disclosed that he had only carried the number of people on the trip because they had no fund to foot their travel back to Bonny.

He said: “I went to celebrate Christmas with my people. So returning, on January 8, I loaded people who had no money to pay for transport with my family, unfortunately, our boat capsized in front of the LNG, where there was no rescue, so about 11 people died and out of that 11 people, five were my children."

Fubara, others mourn

Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has promised to ensure safety for sea travellers in the state as he joined other well-meaning individuals to mourn the death of 11 people in a recent boat mishap in the state.

The promise was contained in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr Boniface Onyedi, and issued to newsmen yesterday.

According to him, his administration will continue to work to ensure that travelling on the sea routes becomes safer for the people.

We’re closely monitoring situation to offer support — LG chair

Meantime, Chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Dr Erastus Awortu, says he received with rude shock and deep pain the disturbing report of the mishap.

In a statement he signed, Awortu said upon receiving the sad development, he immediately dispatched a team to join the first responders on rescue missions at the scene of the incident in a bid to salvage the situation.

Awortu noted that the council is closely monitoring the situation to offer further support especially to give the survivors necessary medical attention and recover the remains of the dead from the Sea.

He sympathized with the families and communities of victims of the unfortunate disaster, especially Ngo Town, Ataba, Isiama and other communities whose loved ones were involved in the boat mishap.

Police open investigation

The Rivers State Police Command said it has opened an investigation into the incidents that led to the mishap and to ascertain the number of people involved.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said police mobilised to the scene and recovered 11 corpses.

Iringe-Koko said: “On 09/01/2024 at about 0915hrs, information was 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, en route Bonny Island, sank while approaching Amariaria community in Finima town.

“At 2000hrs, on the strength of the information, the O/C Marine SP Ogarachi Chima moved to the scene of an incident of the boat mishap and discovered eleven (11) passengers feared drowned. An investigation is in progress.”