At least six persons, mostly students returning to school, have died following a boat accident at Buruku crossing in Buruku Local Government Area, Benue State.
Several others remain missing after the wooden boat carrying passengers capsized late Monday night.
Sources said the tragedy occurred around 11 p.m. while the boat was en route to the Buruku end of the river. It was reportedly carrying both passengers and vehicles when it capsized midway.
An eyewitness blamed overloading for the incident, calling it avoidable:
“The boat, as you know, is a wooden one, and it was carrying passengers and cars across the river to Buruku when it suddenly sank. There were over 45 persons on that boat, including vehicles. It was simply overloaded.
“While about 35 passengers were rescued, six deaths, mostly students, have so far been confirmed, with others still unaccounted for. Most of the victims were students returning to schools in Gboko and nearby communities. This is very unfortunate. This tragedy could have been avoided.”
He added that repeated negligence on the waterways was a major concern:
“Every year, we record this kind of tragedy. Authorities will issue statements assuring that it won’t happen again, but nothing concrete is done to ensure the safety of waterway users.”
Reacting to the incident, Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Denis Iyaghigba, expressed deep distress over the tragedy, describing it as a painful reminder of the risks associated with unsafe and unregulated inland water transport.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Lubem Gena, Iyaghigba extended sympathy to the victims’ families and the Buruku community:
“Preliminary reports indicate that the mishap occurred in the course of routine river transportation.”
He said a full-scale investigation has been launched to determine the immediate and underlying causes of the accident, warning that recklessness and disregard for safety standards would no longer be tolerated. Measures to be enforced include vessel inspections, operator licensing, passenger safety education, and closer monitoring of river transport activities across the state.
Efforts to reach Chairman of Buruku LGA, Raymond Zege, and the Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful at press time.