Benue Boat Accident: My 2 Younger Brothers’ Last Moments – Relative

A relative of four victims of the Saturday ill-fated wooden boat accident at the Buruku crossing point in River Katsina-Ala, Buruku local government area, Nathaniel Teryange Apaa, has relived the last moments of his two younger brothers who died and are yet to recovered.

In a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday, Apaa said it felt like the whole world was collapsing on him, and he pleaded with Nigerians to pray for his family over the unfortunate incident.
Apaa, who hails from Mbausu in Mbayion, Gboko local government area, said of the four victims, two of his sisters were rescued safely.

According to him, “Their names are Aondoawase Livinus Apaa and Aondover Atule. It is like the whole world is collapsing on me. I am not at home, but I spoke with them a few days before this incident. They are still inside the water, and their bodies have yet to be recovered. Please, Nigerians, pray for me,” Apaa stated.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA) has confirmed the death of over 30 passengers of the boat disaster.

While returning from the scene of the accident, the head of Information Unit of Benue-SEMA, Tema Ager, told LEADERSHIP yesterday that so far four dead bodies of the occupants, including a priest of the Anglican Church, were recovered.

SEMA said over 200 passengers, including mourners, were aboard the boat when it capsized.

According to SEMA, “Four people were confirmed dead, and nine are still missing. Those nine people, we still know that they are already dead, but they are still not uncovered.

So those ones also will consider that they are already dead, but they are looking for their dead bodies. Yes, inclusive among the dead is Reverend Pastor Moses. The Pastor, who is among them, has died. They said the people on board were more than 200 people, but the people who can categorically account for them are the people who went for the burial, the mourners, because those who carried them on the bike cannot account for them”

“But those who were on shore and accompanied them to cross over to the other side are unaccounted for. So it’s likely that those ones are also among the dead, but they are unaccounted for. So, more than 30 people are dead in the water. As we went there, five motorcycles were removed from the water, out of the 38 motorcycles that sank,” a SEMA spokesperson said.

Recall that a boat reportedly carrying about seventy mourners and others from neighbouring Gboko Local Government area crossing Buruku capsized, with several occupants reportedly missing.

The mourners who had crossed the River Buruku to attend the burial ceremony were returning to their locations when the incident occurred.

LEADERSHIP earlier reported that the Benue State Government had suspended the activities of the Nigeria Union of Maritime Workers (NUMW), River Buruku branch, with immediate effect, following the incident.

The Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, gave the order after paying an on-the-spot assessment visit to the scene of the accident on Saturday.