BREAKING: 70 Mourners In Boat Mishap: Benue Orders Driver’s Arrest, Suspends Maritime Union

The Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, has ordered the arrest and detention of a boat driver and suspended the activities of the Nigeria Union of Maritime Workers (NUMW), River Buruku branch, following a boat mishap involving about 70 mourners.

Iyaghigba announced the measures after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the accident scene on Saturday.

In a statement issued by the Head of Media and Public Orientation in the Office of the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Lubem Gena, the commissioner also ordered the suspension of the line operator involved in the incident.

The ministry has activated search and rescue operations and is working with local divers to intensify efforts to locate passengers who remain missing, according to the statement.

Iyaghigba also directed the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to investigate the incident and determine its immediate, remote and underlying causes.

He ordered strict compliance with the mandatory use of life jackets at all river crossing points across the state.

The statement said the owner of an abandoned barge believed to have contributed to the accident was given a seven-day ultimatum to evacuate it from the crossing point or risk its confiscation by the government.

The commissioner said he would also work with relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) during the week to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and strengthen safety measures on the state’s waterways.

The government said further details would be made available as investigations and rescue efforts continued.

A wooden boat carrying about 70 mourners reportedly capsized while crossing the River Buruku in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.

The mourners had crossed the river to attend a burial ceremony and were returning to their locations when the incident occurred.

The chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Raymond Zege, who confirmed the incident, said the boat developed a technical fault while more than 70 occupants were on the river.