Tragedy: Pregnant woman, six children among 11 feared dead in Benue boat mishap

By Johnson Arua

A journey home from a burial ceremony ended in tragedy on Saturday night when a boat carrying over 40 passengers capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving at least 11 persons feared dead.

Among the victims are said to be a pregnant woman and six children, while several others are still unaccounted for as search efforts continue.

The passengers, all believed to be mourners, were returning to Daududawadawa community, an island settlement situated behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) Barracks in Makurdi's North Bank area, after attending the burial of a community member in Wadata.

Witnesses said the incident occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. when a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds struck the area, causing the boat to overturn midway through the trip.

The Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante outfit in North Bank, Mr. Nura Umar, who confirmed the incident, explained that the deceased whose burial the passengers attended had died earlier in the day at a private hospital.

According to Umar, "We took a sick woman from the community behind NASME to a private hospital in North Bank on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, she died there and members of the community gathered in Wadata for her burial."

He said after the burial, the mourners boarded a boat to return to their community across the river.

"At about 7 p.m., heavy rain and strong winds started. The boat was carrying more than 40 passengers when it capsized halfway into the journey.

"So far, 11 people are feared dead. We have recovered four bodies and buried them, while efforts are ongoing to locate the others still missing," Umar stated.

The vigilante commander described the incident as devastating, noting that many families in the riverine community have been affected.

In one particularly heartbreaking account, Umar revealed that a woman who survived the accident lost the baby she had strapped to her back during the chaos that followed the capsizing of the boat.

Rescue operations involving local divers and volunteers continued late into Sunday as families gathered along the riverbank awaiting news of missing relatives.

The tragedy has plunged Daududawadawa community into grief, coming at a time when residents were already mourning the death of the woman whose burial drew the passengers together.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Mr. Joseph Keffi, proved unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to him were not returned as of the time of filing this report.

Also contacted, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said the command had yet to receive an official report on the incident.

The accident has renewed concerns about the dangers faced by residents of riverine communities who depend on boats for transportation, especially during the rainy season when adverse weather conditions can quickly turn fatal.