More than 70 passengers have been rescued, while about six others remain missing after a boat capsized at the Buruku crossing point on the Benue River in Benue State.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, when a boat carrying passengers from Gboko Local Government Area across the river for a burial ceremony capsized.
The Chairman of Buruku LGA, Mr Raymond Zege, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said the boat was overloaded and that many of the passengers were unfamiliar with navigating the river. He said panic broke out after the boat’s engine reportedly failed.
According to Zege, efforts were made to bring other boats to the scene to rescue the passengers. However, the weight of the overloaded boat, combined with strong waves, caused it to capsize.
“Yes, there were people from Gboko LG. They went for burial across the other side. On their way, they overloaded a boat but the issue was that the engine of the boat failed,” he said.
“Most of them are not conversant with the water side, so they panicked and struggled with their movement. So before they could get them to the boats they were bringing to rescue them, because of the weight and the water waves, the boat sank.”
Zege said more than 70 people had been rescued, while the exact number of those still missing remained uncertain.
“As I am speaking with you, we don’t know the exact number of people that are still missing. We have rescued over 70 people and we have not seen about six people,” he said.
He also expressed concern over what he described as commuters’ resistance to maritime safety regulations, including the use of life jackets.
“People can be very difficult. There is a law, and we have provided life jackets for every commuter crossing that route,” he said.
He explained that some passengers had previously complained about sharing life jackets because of concerns over the spread of illnesses.
Zege said the state government was supporting efforts to enforce maritime safety regulations and urged commuters to cooperate with maritime officials to protect their lives.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Denis Iyaghigba, said he had received preliminary reports of the boat mishap at the Buruku crossing point.
In a statement issued to journalists in Makurdi, Iyaghigba urged members of the public, particularly families of passengers who may have been aboard the boat, to remain calm and await verified information from the relevant authorities.
He said preliminary reports indicated that a strong water current swept the boat into an abandoned barge at a bend in the river, causing it to overturn.
“I have directed the boat operators and their union downstream to mobilise and assist in the ongoing search and rescue operation. Further details will be communicated as the rescue operation progresses,” Iyaghigba said.
