A joyous Flag Day celebration that Nimba County District #7 Representative, Musa Bility, had with some of his constituents ended in tragedy with one reported death while another is missing. A former Township Commissioner drowned and another individual, reported to be a bodyguard to the lawmaker, is feared dead after a canoe accident.
The body of Mr. Morris P. Williams was found after a search, while Lawrence Yeyea, the bodyguard for Rep. Bility, remains missing following the capsizing of their canoe in Yar Creek on August 24, 2024. Rep. Bility and his team were returning from a Flag Day Celebration in Kpai Tiapa when the incident occurred.
The citizens of Kpai Tiapa had invited Rep. Bility to join their Flag Day festivities and also petitioned him for the construction of a bridge connecting districts #7, and #5.
During their return journey, eyewitnesses told the Daily Observer that the overloaded canoe carrying the former Township Commissioner and the bodyguard encountered difficulties in the strong currents of the creek.
Tragically, the two men went missing in the water. Efforts to locate the missing individuals are ongoing, with traditional divers assisting in the search along the creek banks. Despite the recovery of the former township commissioner's body, the sectional clerk's whereabouts remain unknown.
There are concerns that more individuals may have been affected by the incident, but the exact number remains uncertain.
"When the canoe reached the middle of the creek, the current was so high for the paddler, causing the occupants to jump into the water for safety. Unfortunately, the former township commissioner and clerk went missing and are yet to be found," An eyewitness told the Daily Observer.
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Yar is one of the largest bodies of water running from Mount Nimba in Yekepa. The other is the St. John River in the south of Nimba.
The citizens of the Tiapa communities are usually caught up during the rainy season when Yar overflows its banks. At this point, the entire community is cut off from the rest of the county, having no way out.
However, the road passing through Tiapa from District 7 in Central Nimba could be one of the shortest routes to Sanniquellie if not for the danger that the overflowed Yar River poses.
Rep. Bility's initiatives to improve feeder roads in central Nimba have been a focus of his political work, with the Bility Foundation actively involved in road rehabilitation projects across the region.
The recent tragedy underscores the challenges faced by communities like Tiapa during the rainy season when water levels in Yar Creek rise significantly.
