No fewer than 11 persons, including a pregnant woman and six children, have reportedly lost their lives in a boat accident in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening when a boat conveying mourners from Wadata to Daududawada community capsized during a heavy rainstorm accompanied by strong winds.
A local vigilante commander, Nura Umar, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, said the victims were returning home after attending the burial of a woman from their community.
According to him, the deceased comprised a pregnant woman, six children and four other adults.
Umar, who heads Operation Shara (Sweep) in the North Bank area of Makurdi, explained that the mourners had travelled to Wadata earlier in the day for the burial rites of a woman who died after receiving treatment at a private hospital.
He said, “The woman was taken from the community behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering barracks to a private hospital in North Bank for treatment, but she later died.
“Following her death, relatives and other community members attended her burial in Wadata. After the ceremony, they boarded a boat to return to Daududawada because it was the shortest route back home.”
Umar said tragedy struck midway into the journey when adverse weather conditions overturned the boat.
“At about 7 p.m., heavy rainfall and strong winds began, causing the boat to capsize. More than 40 passengers were on board at the time of the incident.
“Eleven people are feared dead. Four bodies have so far been recovered and buried, while efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining victims,” he added.
He further disclosed that one of the survivors lost her child during the struggle to escape from the sinking boat.
“The woman had her baby tied to her back. While trying to stay afloat and swim to safety, she lost hold of the child. Although she made efforts to save the baby, the child had swallowed too much water and could not survive,” Umar said.
As of Sunday, local divers and volunteers were continuing search-and-rescue operations for those still missing.
The tragedy has thrown residents of Daududawada community into mourning, with families awaiting news of their loved ones.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, neither answered calls nor responded to a text message sent to her on the incident.
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