No fewer than 11 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead after a boat conveying mourners from a burial ceremony capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday night as the victims were returning to Daududawadawa community, an island settlement behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks in the North Bank area of Makurdi.
A local source, identified simply as Daniel, said the boat, which was carrying more than 40 passengers, overturned midway through the journey between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. during a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds.
Confirming the incident, the Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group in North Bank, Nura Umar, said the victims had attended the burial of a woman from their community in Wadata.
According to him, the deceased woman had died earlier on Saturday at a private hospital in North Bank, prompting relatives and sympathisers to transport her remains to Wadata for burial.
He said the passengers were on their way back to Daududawadawa community when the storm struck and caused the boat to capsize.
Umar disclosed that four bodies had so far been recovered and buried, while divers continued search operations for the remaining victims.
He added that one of the survivors had a baby strapped to her back but lost the child in the accident.
The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive an official report on the incident.
The tragedy comes barely six months after the Benue State Government announced plans to enforce stricter safety measures on waterways following recurring boat accidents.
As part of the initiative launched in January, the government emphasised the mandatory use of life jackets by passengers and boat operators, among other safety requirements.