Pregnant Woman, 6 Children, 4 Others Feared Dead In Benue Boat Mishap

A tragic boat accident in an island settlement in the North Bank area of Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State has left a pregnant woman, six children, and four other burial guests feared dead.

The incident occurred as the victims were returning to Daudu Dawadawa community, behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks in North Bank, Makurdi.

An eyewitness, Tor Terna, said more than 30 passengers were onboard the boat when it capsized around 7:30pm during heavy rainfall.

He said the passengers were crossing the river when sudden downpour and strong winds destabilised the boat, causing it to overturn midway into the journey.

Terna said some passengers were rescued, while others remain missing following the incident.

Confirming the development, the Commander of a local vigilante group in North Bank, Nura Umar, said the victims had earlier gathered for a burial ceremony before the tragedy occurred during their return trip.

He explained that the pregnant woman had died earlier in the day and was being transported for burial when the accident happened.

He said, “The deceased woman had been taken to a private hospital in North Bank on Saturday morning where she later died, and the relatives and sympathisers from the island community decided to take the remains to Wadata for her burial.”

Umar added that after the burial, the mourners boarded a boat to return to Daudu Dawadawa community when the vessel capsized.

He said rescue efforts were ongoing, noting that four bodies had so far been recovered and buried, while divers continued searching for other victims.

He further revealed that one survivor lost her baby during the incident, despite initially escaping with the child strapped to her back.

At the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement, as attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful.