No fewer than six students returning to school were reported to have lost their lives in the Buruku River in the Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
It was gathered that the incident happened when the boat they were sailing on capsized Monday night.
A local source told journalists on Tuesday that the wooden boat was heavily loaded with passengers, which might lead to the capsize.
One of the eyewitnesses, a maritime worker who was at the scene but pleaded not to be named, said the passengers had delayed their movement to allow politicians returning from a church thanksgiving service in Logo to be ferried first.