Pix: Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Ahmed Audi

The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Sunday said four people lost their lives while 19 others sustained serious injuries in three boat accidents in the state.

The NSCDC said the accidents occurred at different locations in Ilaje and Irele local government areas of the state.

The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Olufemi Omole, confirmed this in a statement.

According to the statement, the state Commandant of the corps, Hameed Abodunrin, is worried by the lackadaisical attitude of water travellers towards safety measures, adding that the victims died because they did not put on life jackets.

Abodunrin said the command was ready to arrest boat or ferry operators and their passengers who violated safety rules on the waterways.

The statement said, “A boat accident in the Ilaje LGA claimed the life of one passenger, leaving 15 others wounded as a result of speeding and refusal to use life jackets.

“Also, there was an incident where a speedboat left Ugbonla for Igbenefa in Ilaje LGA and collided with a bigger wooden boat from the high sea in the night, leading to the death of one passenger, with four others terribly injured.”

The state commandant disclosed that his men were “deployed in Iyasan in the Irele LGA for rescue operations after the dead bodies of two victims of a boat accident, Oki Michael and Omogbehin Adebayo, were recovered.”