NAN – Angry youths in Festac Town, Lagos have burnt the canoe that capsized on March 11, 2014 killing 14 out of 20 passengers on board the canoe.
The canoe was torched by the irate youths after it was recovered from the canal.
The canoe capsized while ferrying its passengers to link 4th Avenue from 6th Avenue through 42 Road.
One of the youths, speaking on condition of anonymity, told NAN at the scene of the mishap: “we had to burn the canoe because it would continue to remind us of the traumatic incident.
“Although this is the first of such tragedy, we are not happy that it ever happened.
“We don’t want to see it here and we doubt if any of the victims’ families would either. We do not pray it ever happens.”
The young man refuted claims that youths had planned to harm the operator of the canoe, saying, “We have no problem with him because he was serving the community.
“We had a long time ago, requested for a bridge to be constructed across the canal but the government has not been forthcoming.”
NAN learnt that many residents of the area use the route on daily basis, despite a bridge located about one and a half kilometres from the scene of the accident.
Attempts by NAN to speak with the operator of the canoe proved abortive as he could not be reached as at the time of this report.
NAN, however, observed that authorities of the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Council had locked the 4th Avenue access gate, linking the scene of the tragedy.
The council had also deployed its security outfit, the Amuwo Odofin Neighbourhood Watch, to the scene to prevent people from coming to the area.
