Nigeria Maritime University student, one other drown as boat capsizes in Warri River

A student of the Nigeria Maritime University(NMU), Okerenkoko, in Warri, Delta State, and a caterer attached to the institution, have drowned in a boat mishap. The victims were identified as Popo Precious and Tamar. The incident occurred Friday morning, October 1, when the deceased and other passengers were travelling from Okerenkoko to Warri.

The victims were said to have boarded a private boat instead of the school boat which they already paid for as part of their fees.

According to one of the students, some of the passengers who do not know how to swim, including locals were not wearing lifejackets.

Other students who boarded the boat were rescued by the driver The cause of the accident is still unknown but some of the surviving victims said that the boat capsized. The bodies of the deceased were later recovered by local divers.

The deceased student, an Ijaw by tribe, was said to have been buried by his family on Friday evening while the corpse of the caterer was deposited at the Warri Central Hospital. A top official of the University who confirmed the incident to journalists on Sunday, October 3, said that the boat driver has been arrested by operatives of Marine Police.