Families of more than 20 people still missing following last Monday night’s boat mishap in Delta State remain anxious.

While at least five people have been confirmed dead, 20 others are still unaccounted for.

The accident occurred when two speedboats, carrying passengers returning from a burial ceremony, collided along the waterways.

Most of the passengers in the ill-fated boats were reportedly not wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.

Local volunteers are combing the river in search of the missing victims, hoping to rescue any survivors.

Eyewitnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described hearing desperate cries for help. Some passengers managed to swim to safety, while many others disappeared in the water.

A local resident, David Umunede, attributed the fatal crash to poor visibility, describing the scene as tragic.

As of the time of filing this report, only five bodies had been recovered.

The Delta State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, confirmed the incident, stating that six survivors had been rescued, though not without injuries.

According to him, the injured are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Warri.

“This is a tragic accident, and we are working with marine units and local divers to locate the missing passengers,” Edafe said.

Former President, Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, has explained the reason behind Buhari’s absence from the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The high-profile gathering, presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, brought together key APC figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, governors, National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), and other stakeholders.

However, notable absentees included Buhari, former Kaduna State governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.

Speaking to BBC Hausa, Shehu clarified that Buhari was invited to the meeting on short notice, making it impractical for him to travel from his hometown, Daura, to Abuja in time.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is not a caucus member of the party. He was supposed to attend the NEC meeting, but unfortunately, the invitation reached him only a day before the event. Even if he owned a private jet, he could not have made it in time,” Shehu stated.

Despite his absence, Shehu emphasized that Buhari remains deeply connected to the APC, highlighting his role as a founding member and two-time presidential candidate under the party’s banner.

“Buhari may not have been physically present, but his spirit was with the attendees. He is and will always be a dedicated member of the APC,” Shehu added.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Kaduna State University chapter, has suspended its strike.

We recalls that in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, he said that the bone of contention between KASU-ASUU and the Government predated the Senator Uba Sani administration.

He added that the governor in his usual empathy, had taken steps to address their demands and other lingering demands concerning Kaduna State-owned tertiary institutions in general.

Following this, ASUU in a statement on Monday, by its chairman, Dr Peter Adamu, explained that the decision to suspend the action was taken on Saturday.

He commended Governor Sani for his swift intervention and leadership in resolving the issues which led to the strike.

He further explained that the government demonstrated goodwill in resolving the impasse by immediately releasing funds to pay the 60 per cent of September 2017 withheld salaries and Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) supervision allowance for five sessions.

According to him, “The government also agreed to a timeline for the payment of the five months, May to September 2022 withheld salaries, promotion arrears, Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), Pension remittance (2009 to 2019), Death benefits, and Group Life Assurance.”

He said the Governor’s intervention was a deviation from the dark days of the past where members were victimized for participating in lawful strike.