Expectant mother, kids among 11 funeral attendees presumed killed in Benue boat disaster

A devastating boat accident occurred on Saturday night in Benue State, resulting in the feared deaths of at least 11 mourners, including a pregnant woman and six children, after their vessel capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area.

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The victims were en route to the Daududawadawa community, an island settlement situated behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) Barracks in the North Bank area of Makurdi, when the boat overturned midway through the journey.

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The incident took place between 7 and 8pm, amidst a torrential downpour and strong winds that swept across parts of the Benue state capital, as the passengers were returning from a burial ceremony in Wadata, a suburb of Makurdi town.

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According to sources, the passengers had attended the burial of a woman from their community earlier in the day and were on their way home when the tragedy struck.

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The Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group in the North Bank axis of Makurdi, Mr. Nura Umar, confirmed the incident and explained that the deceased woman had been taken to a private hospital in North Bank earlier on Saturday but died shortly afterward.

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Mr. Umar stated that relatives and sympathisers from the Daududawadawa community had gathered in Wadata to participate in the woman's burial before embarking on the ill-fated return trip, which ended in disaster when the boat capsized due to heavy rain and strong winds.

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At the time of the incident, there were over 40 passengers aboard the boat, with 11 feared dead, including a pregnant woman and six children from the small riverine community, and four bodies had been recovered and buried so far.

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Mr. Umar also recounted a heartbreaking incident involving one of the survivors who escaped the mishap but lost her baby, saying "One of the women survived, but the baby she had strapped to her back was swept away when the boat capsized".

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The accident has thrown Daududawadawa community into mourning, with residents anxiously awaiting news of those still missing as search and rescue efforts continue, and local divers and community volunteers are still searching for the remaining victims.

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Attempts to obtain comments from the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Mr. Joseph Keffi, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to him were not responded to at the time of filing this report.

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The Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive details of the incident, and as of press time, families of the victims gathered along the riverbank, hoping for updates on their loved ones.