Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has urged for an investigation following a ''tragic boat accident'' that killed about 150 people in the central state of Kwara.
Those involved in the accident were wedding guests. They were travelling back to Kwara state from neighbouring Niger state when the accident occurred on Monday night.
Search and rescue operations were ongoing, the authorities said. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
"I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of our people in Kwara State. That the victims were guests at a wedding ceremony made the unfortunate accident more painful,'' president Tinubu said in a statement released by his media office on Wednesday.
The Nigerian leader urged authorities in Kwara state and relevant federal agencies to investigate the ''circumstances surrounding the boat accident'' as well as as ''unravel the immediate and remote causes of this unfortunate accident.''
Enforcing rules
Emergency services and local divers have continued for search for victims as more than one hundred bodies have been recovered so far.
''According to the report we are having currently, about 150 people are already dead and that is a very large number,'' Ibrahim Umar Bologi, the Emir of Pategi area where most of the victims came from told reporters on Tuesday evening. The traditional leader said more than 50 others had been rescued.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has offered his condolences to the community and asked government agencies to provide relief materials to the surviors.
"My heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of victims of the tragic mishap," the President said.
Boat accidents are common in Nigeria often caused by overloading, poor maintenance of the boats and bad weather conditions. But the magnitude of the latest one is rare.
President Tinubu who was sworn in at the end of last month promised that his administration would ''look into the challenges of inland water transportation in the country to ensure the matter of safety and operational standards are strictly adhered to.''
