Boat in Bayelsa deputy governor’s convoy crashes

A boat conveying soldiers in the convoy of Bayelsa State deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), on Sunday crashed into the mangroves.

A soldier was feared dead and two others sustained injuries after the accident occurred along Ogbia-Nembe waterways.

The boat driver was said to have lost control of the vessel, veered off the water and crashed into the mangroves at about 8am.

But a source said though nobody died from the incident, one of the soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, sustained serious injuries.

“The boat ran into the mangrove forest. About three of the soldiers were injured but the injuries sustained by one of them were serious,” the source who pleaded anonymity said.

It was learnt that the deputy governor was on his way to Nembe for a private visit when the accident occurred.

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the deputy governor on Media, Mr. Ebi Evinson, neither answered his telephone calls nor replied to a text message sent to him.

But the Media Coordinator, JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the accident, but said the soldiers were not attached to the deputy governor.

He insisted that nobody died from the accident.

He, however, said the injured casualties had been treated in a clinic and discharged.

“No soldier is attached to the convoy of the deputy governor. The soldiers were only behind the convoy when the boat veered off the water and ran into the mangroves. Only two soldiers sustained minor injuries. Nobody died,” he said.