No fewer than 11 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, have died in a boat accident in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The incident occurred between 7 pm and 8 pm on Saturday as passengers crossed a river from Wadata to Daudawada community during a heavy downpour.
Commander of the local vigilante group, Operation Shara in North Bank, Nura Umar, confirmed the tragedy. He said the victims were mourners from Daudawada, an island community behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks in Makurdi’s North Bank area.
The group included a pregnant woman, six children and four other adults.
Umar explained that the victims had traveled to Wadata earlier on Saturday for the burial of a woman from their community who died at a private hospital in North Bank.
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After the burial ceremony, relatives boarded a boat to return home because the water route was shorter than traveling by road.
Heavy rain and strong winds hit midway into the journey and caused the boat to capsize.
There were over 40 passengers on board. So far, four bodies have been recovered and buried, while divers continue searching for the remaining seven victims. Umar also disclosed that one of the survivors lost her baby during the incident.
The accident has renewed calls for stricter water safety measures in riverine communities across Benue. Residents are urging the government and emergency agencies to enforce the use of life jackets and improve rescue response for river transport.
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