A pregnant woman, six children and four others have been reported drowned after a passenger boat carrying mourners returning from a burial ceremony capsized on the River Benue during a violent rainstorm.
As gathered, the victims were among the over 40 passengers returning from a burial ceremony when the overloaded boat overturned midway through the river journey between Wadata and Daududawadawa community, an island settlement located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering in the North Bank area of Makurdi.
On Sunday, it was learnt that the tragedy occurred yesterday at about 8 p.m, throwing the riverine community into mourning, with families anxiously awaiting news of missing relatives as rescue efforts continue.
A resident, who identified himself simply as Daniel, told journalists that the passengers were travelling back to their community after attending the burial of a woman whose remains had been interred earlier in the day.
According to him, the boat encountered severe weather conditions while crossing the river.
“The boat was carrying about 40 people when a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds started. It capsized in the middle of the river, throwing passengers into the water,” he said.
Confirming the incident, Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group operating in the North Bank axis, Nura Umar, disclosed that the victims had travelled from Daududawadawa community to attend the funeral rites of a deceased woman.
He explained that the woman had died earlier on Saturday at a private hospital in North Bank and was subsequently buried at Wadata, prompting relatives, friends and sympathisers to make the return journey across the river.
“The deceased woman had been taken to a private hospital in North Bank where she later died. After her burial, relatives and sympathisers boarded a boat to return home. Unfortunately, heavy rain and strong winds began during the trip, causing the boat to capsize,” Umar said.
He revealed that 11 passengers were feared dead, while four bodies had already been recovered and buried as of Sunday.
“There were over 40 passengers on board. We have recovered four bodies so far and buried them, while local divers and rescue volunteers are still searching for the remaining victims,” he added.
Among the heartbreaking accounts emerging from the disaster was that of a woman who survived the accident but lost her infant child, who had been strapped to her back when the boat overturned.
The incident has reignited concerns about the safety of water transportation in Benue State, particularly in riverine communities where boats remain a primary mode of transport.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from security agencies were unsuccessful on Sunday. The spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had not yet received a report of the incident.
Similarly, the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, Joseph Keffi, could not be reached for comments as calls to his telephone line went unanswered.
The tragedy occurred barely six months after the Benue State Government announced stricter measures aimed at reducing recurring boat accidents on the state’s waterways.
Following the announcement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, launched a statewide enforcement campaign that mandated the use of life jackets by all boat operators and passengers, alongside other safety regulations.
The government had expressed concern over the increasing number of fatalities resulting from boat mishaps and pledged to ensure compliance with safety standards across riverine communities.