At least 11 persons, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead after a boat conveying mourners back from a burial ceremony capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday evening as the victims were returning to Daududawadawa, an island community behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks in the North Bank area of Makurdi.
A resident, Daniel, who spoke to journalists by telephone on Sunday, said the ill-fated boat was carrying more than 40 passengers when it overturned in the middle of the river between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. following a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds.
The victims had earlier attended the burial of a woman from their community at Wadata.
Confirming the incident, the Commander of the local vigilante outfit, Operation Shara (Sweep), North Bank, Nura Umar, said the deceased woman had died at a private hospital in North Bank earlier on Saturday before relatives transported her remains to Wadata for burial.
“After the burial, they boarded a boat to cross back to Daududawadawa community. At about 7 p.m., heavy rain and strong winds started, and the boat capsized halfway into the journey,” Umar said.
He disclosed that rescue efforts had so far recovered four bodies, which had since been buried, while divers continued searching for the remaining victims believed to be trapped in the river.
“There were over 40 passengers aboard the boat, but 11 were feared dead. We have recovered four bodies so far and buried them, while divers are still searching for the remaining victims,” he added.
Umar also revealed that one of the survivors had a baby strapped to her back during the journey but lost the child in the accident.
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As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command said it had yet to receive an official report on the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, said she was still awaiting details.
Efforts to reach the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, Joseph Keffi, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone were not answered.
The latest tragedy comes barely six months after the Benue State Government unveiled stricter safety measures to curb recurring boat accidents across the state’s waterways.
In January, the government, through the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, launched an enforcement campaign mandating the use of life jackets by passengers and boat operators, alongside other safety protocols aimed at reducing fatalities on inland waterways.
The accident has renewed concerns over water transportation safety in Benue, where boat mishaps continue to claim lives despite repeated government interventions and public awareness campaigns.