Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, who confirmed the incident on Tuesday in a statement, said 19 persons were also rescued by the agency.
The passenger boat was said to be travelling from Ikorodu to CMS when it capsized at about 9:30am in Oworonshoki after hitting a submerged object.
Emmanuel, however, said the rescued persons have already been taken to Ebute Ero Jetty from where they were transferred to the hospital while further investigation into the cause of the accident was ongoing.
“A passenger boat named SEALINK with 20 passengers and two crew onboard coming from Ikorodu to CMS ran over a submerged wooden boat close to Third Mainland Bridge. 19 passengers were carried to safety to Ebute Ero Jetty,” he said.
“The LASWA emergency response team recovered a female body (identified as a police officer attached to Zone Two police station) and handed over the corpse to the Marine Police. Her husband is an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
“The submerged SEALINK Boat has been salvaged and towed to a secure location off the waterways. Salvaging Operations are also taking place to get the submerged wooden boat off the navigable channel,” the LASWA boss added.
He informed that the crew members of the said boat have been taken to police custody for further investigation while commiserating with the family of the deceased.
He also assured resident that the state government would not relent in coming up with policies and programmes aimed at ensuring safety on the waterways.
