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| Late Ibisa Hart |
Bonny Island was thrown into mourning today as two students and an elderly lady lost their lives in a boat mishap.
Nine other passengers were rescued by the crew of Catflash, the Nigeria LNG ferry which was around the vicinity of the incident on its way to Bonny from Port Harcourt.
Kristina Reports findings reveal that the affected outboard-powered speedboat was said to be en route Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area from Bonny.
The deceased were identified as Isaac Fubara Pepple, Queen Ibinwangi Ibisa Hart, a student of Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, and junior sister of popular Nigerian blogger and Internet marketer, Inengisa Hart, both from Bonny Island, and a yet-to-be identified elderly lady.
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| Late Queen Ibinwangi Ibisa Hart |
The Nigeria Police was yet to make a statement on the incident.
A passenger at the jetty, Kenneth told Kristina Reports that the pilot of the said boat came to refuel at the Coal Beach before taking off under the heavy storm witnessed in the town that morning.
“What we don’t understand was how the man could leave shore under that storm that was already deroofing houses inside town?”
Kristina Reports was unable to confirm this with the Bonny Marine Transport Association.
Another onlooker at the Coal Beach, Happiness Banigo expressed sadnes that nobody could stop the pilot from going out to sea while the storm was on.
Questions were already been asked at the relevance of the BMTA, which several people who spoke with Kristina Reports described as “non existent”, “moribund”, and “useless”.
A passenger who was traveling to Port Harcourt, but preferred anonymity, gave a thumbs down to the relevant authorities for failing in their duty to regulate the activities of marine transporters in the area.
“Many a time, we have observed all sorts of behaviour by these boat people. They do whatever they like without anyone calling them to order.”
“Shouldn’t somebody have stopped the boat driver from driving off into the turbulent sea with these people?”
The father of one of the deceased, Abraham Pepple was said to have lost a son earlier this year.
A relative of the late Ibisa Hart, who does not want to be named told Kristina Reports that she came to support her another of her brother who contested and won the youth election in Oloma Community.
The late elderly lady, Kristina Reports learnt was from Ndoki area of Abia State.
The whole town as at the time of this report had been mourning the deaths of the unfortunate victims who were end route Port Harcourt through Bodo.
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