The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has arrested the manager of ‘Only God Marine Ltd’, following a preliminary investigation into a boat mishap that occurred on October 7, 2024, at Imore, Lagos.
The incident involved a fiber boat owned by Only God Ferry owned by the company, which collided with a wooden boat, resulting in injuries and casualties.
According to an official press statement from NIWA on Tuesday, the investigation revealed negligence and violations of safety regulations, prompting decisive action to hold the company accountable.
NIWA said investigations have revealed that, the fibre boat veered off its designated channel, colliding with the wooden boat due to the captain’s obstructed vision, primarily caused by the heavy load on board.
Additionally, the investigation highlighted that Only God Ferry failed to adhere to established operational safety standards and took improper navigation procedures.
In response to these findings, NIWA said it has taken decisive action by arresting the Manager of Only God Ferry for negligence and non-compliance with safety regulations mandated by the authority.
According to the agency, this arrest underscores its commitment to ensuring accountability and enforcing strict adherence to waterways regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
NIWA informed that further legal actions are underway, as investigations will continue until the management of Only God Marine produces the captain of the boat.
“The authority aims to determine whether additional charges will be filed based on the captain’s involvement in the incident”, the statement added/
Recall that NIWA had said on Tuesday that a rescue team was already on the waters at Kirikiri in Lagos State, searching for two missing passengers of a boat that capsized.
The Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Mrs Sarat Braimah, made this known in a statement in Lagos.
According to Braimah, at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Monday, a fiber boat carrying 13 passengers, along with a deckhand, captain and cargo was travelling from Ebute Ero to Badagry when it collided with a wooden boat.
“ The wooden boat had just departed from Imore jetty, transporting passengers to Imore waterside.
“Upon investigation, it was found that the wooden boat had barely left the jetty when the fiber boat veered off its course.
“The collision was attributed to the fiber boat captain’s obstructed vision likely caused by the boat’s load,” she said.
The area manager said that of 15 passengers believed to be aboard the wooden boat (as no passenger manifest was filled), 13 were rescued, with five sustaining injuries and receiving treatment at a hospital.
“However, two passengers remain missing as at the time of this report,” she said.
However, in a statement he issued earlier, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, the General Manager of Lagos State Waterways Authority, said that five passengers of the wooden boat had not been accounted for.
The General Manager of LASWA, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, stated that the wooden boat carried 10 passengers from Alakija to Imore while the fibre boat, named Only God 13, carried 15 passengers.
He said that all the 15 passengers on board Only God 13 were rescued safely and were waiting at the jetty to collect their goods.
