The National Inland Waterways Authority’s Police Command has arraigned two suspects in a Magistrate Court in Lokoja, Kogi State Capital, for alleged conspiracy and negligence leading to a boat mishap in the town.

The agency announced this in a statement over the weekend, which was obtained by The PUNCH.

The statement explained that the defendants, Musa Dangana and Yakubu Dangana, both residents of Lokoja, were being tried on charges of alleged conspiracy and negligence.

According to a police report, the area manager of the NIWA Lokoja Area Office, Titus Adoga, reported the incident to the commandant of the NIWA’s Inland Waterways Nigeria Police Command in the headquarters.

The prosecutor, Mr. Gabriel Otowu, alleged that the defendants jointly owned a commercial wooden boat that capsized en route to Kacha Market in Niger State from Kupa in the Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.

He said that at about 5:45 am on November 29, 2024, the defendants transported 60 passengers from Kupa to Kacha Market without providing life jackets or considering the weather conditions.

“Despite several warnings against travelling without life jackets, the defendants failed to exercise due vigilance,” Otowu said.




https://punchng.com/niwa-police-arraigns-two-in-lokoja-for-negligence/