Six students have been confirmed dead after a boat capsized on the Buruku River in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday night.
The boat, described by witnesses as heavily overloaded, overturned midway through the journey, leading to the tragic deaths of the students who were returning to school.
Reports said a maritime worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said passengers were delayed to allow politicians returning from a church thanksgiving service in Logo to be ferried first. The delay forced the remaining passengers, including the students, to travel at night.
“Nightfall caught up with the remaining passengers and the boat departed with too many people onboard,” the witness said. “Midway into the journey, the boat capsized due to overloading. While many were rescued, six students drowned.”
Another witness confirmed that the boat carried over 45 passengers and also had vehicles on board, adding that the weight was too much for the vessel.
Pastor Jethro Moor, a relative of one of the victims, said the deceased were students from Gbeji in Ukum Local Government Area who were travelling back to Gboko for school.
He said two vehicles loaded with food items and more than 20 passengers were on the boat at the time of the accident.
“The weight was too much for the boat. With the ongoing bridge construction, the navigable path has become narrow, and the boat could not remain stable under such load,” Moor said.
The chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Raymond Zege Aondoakura, confirmed the incident and said security agencies and rescue teams were on the ground.
Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Dennis Iyaghigba, described the incident as a warning against unsafe and unregulated river transport. He said a full-scale investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident and to ascertain whether safety rules were breached.
In a statement released by his media aide, Lubem Gena, Iyaghigba offered condolences to the families of the victims and the Buruku community.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said the command had not yet received an official report on the accident.
Buruku River is one of several major rivers in Benue used for transportation due to the absence of a bridge, despite promises by successive governments to construct one.