A boat mishap has claimed one life while 15 others narrowly escaped death in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Sunday.
The Public Relations Officer of Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Olufemi Omole confirmed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, the state capital.
According to the statement, the boat was on its way to Igbokoda Market from Awoye when the engine failed and the heavy wind on the sea blew it off track.
Reacting to the incident, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Hammed Abodunrin, said it could have been avoided if the transporter did not overload the boat and the passengers had put on their life jackets.
The NSCDC boss thus warned that any boat transporter caught in the act of risking the lives of innocent citizens by overspeeding and overloading would be arrested and prosecuted under the law.