Benue Boat Capsizes, 11 Burial Guests Feared Dead

Eleven people, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead after a boat carrying burial guests capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident happened between 7 pm and 8 pm on Saturday as the victims were crossing the river from Wadata to Daudu-Daudawa community during a heavy downpour, according to local accounts cited by Punch and Daily Trust.

A local source, who identified himself only as Daniel, told reporters the boat was overloaded when it went down. He said most of the passengers were returning from a funeral gathering in a neighbouring community when the vessel lost balance in the storm.

Community members and local divers moved to the scene within minutes and began searching the water. Officials of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency later joined the recovery effort.

Confirming the casualties on Sunday, a spokesperson for the state police command said the agency had opened an investigation and was working with marine and local divers to recover any bodies still missing.

The boat mishap is one of several fatal water accidents recorded on Nigeria’s inland waterways this year, raising fresh concerns about overloading, the absence of life jackets, and night-time navigation during the rainy season.

The state government has since commiserated with the families of the victims and pledged support for the ongoing search and recovery operation. As of Sunday afternoon, the identities of the dead had not been officially released. Local leaders have called for stricter enforcement of boat capacity limits and mandatory use of life jackets on the river, especially during the harmattan and rainy seasons.

Sources: Daily Trust, Legit