3 Navy Officers, 2 NYSC Members, Driver Die In Delta Boat Accident

Three naval personnel, two National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and a driver have been confirmed dead, with three others missing after a Nigerian Navy gunboat they were travelling capsized in Delta State.

According to reports, the accident occurred on Thursday during a free medical outreach in Okerenkoko in the Warri South West Local Government Area, organised by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) in collaboration with the EMT Foundation.

The ill-fated EPENAL Gunboat DE 24 was said to be carrying 15 navy personnel and six civilians, including three youth corps members.

The boat was said to be moving from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Escravos to their hotel in the Arunton community when it sank at about 7.45 pm.

A military source named the deceased as Commander JO Eidangbe, Petty Officer Abolarinwa, Ordinary Seaman Tena, Miss Chinenye and Miss Dorcas (both NYSC members), and Master Destiny, the boat’s driver.

Those missing are Lieutenant DK Nehemiah, SubLieutenant Kwala, and Miss Uche, another corps member.

Although the Navy had yet to issue a statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report, Commodore Abdulazeez Zubairu of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta said the entire Warri Naval Base had been thrown into mourning.