Benue boat tragedy claims 11 lives after a boat carrying mourners capsized on the River Benue during heavy rainfall and strong winds

At least 11 mourners, including a pregnant woman and six children, have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying more than 40 passengers capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi on Saturday night.

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The victims were reportedly returning to Daududawadawa, an island community located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering in the North Bank area of Makurdi, after attending a burial ceremony in Wadata.

The incident occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. during a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds, which reportedly made navigation difficult and contributed to the accident.

According to local sources, the mourners had earlier gathered to bury a woman from their community who died after receiving treatment at a private hospital in the North Bank area.

The Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group operating in North Bank, Nura Umar, said relatives and sympathisers travelled to Wadata for the burial before embarking on the return journey across the river.

Umar explained that the boat was carrying more than 40 passengers when it encountered severe weather conditions midway through the trip.

“What happened was that we took a sick woman from the community behind NASME to a private hospital in North Bank yesterday morning, where she later died. Her relatives came and joined us for the burial at Wadata,” he said.

“After the burial, they boarded a boat to cross back to Daududawadawa community. At about 7 p.m., heavy rain and strong winds started and the boat capsized halfway into the journey.”

He said 11 people were feared dead following the accident and disclosed that four bodies had already been recovered and buried, while search operations continued for the remaining victims.

Rescue efforts were still ongoing on Sunday, with local divers combing the river in search of those reported missing.

In one of the most heartbreaking accounts from the disaster, Umar revealed that a woman who survived the accident lost her baby during the capsizing.

The child had reportedly been strapped to her back throughout the journey before being swept away in the river.

The Benue Boat Tragedy has thrown the affected community into mourning, coming just hours after residents had gathered to pay their final respects to a deceased member of the community.

As of Sunday, authorities had yet to release an official casualty figure beyond reports from local rescuers and community leaders involved in the recovery operation.

When contacted, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, said she had not received any official report concerning the incident.