At least six persons, mostly students returning to school, have been confirmed dead following a boat mishap at Buruku crossing in Buruku Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
Several others are also still missing after the wooden boat conveying passengers across the river sank late on Monday night.
Sources in the area said the tragedy occurred around 11:00pm while the ill-fated boat was en route to the Buruku end of the river. It was reportedly carrying both passengers and vehicles when it capsized midway through the journey.
An eyewitness blamed the incident on overloading, describing the situation as 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 people on that boat, including vehicles. It was simply overloaded,” he said.
The eyewitness added that “while about 35 passengers were rescued alive, six deaths 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 lamented.
He further decried what he described as repeated negligence on the waterways. “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,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Denis Iyaghigba, said he received the news with “grave concern and deep distress,” describing it as a painful reminder of the dangers posed by unsafe, unregulated inland water transport.
In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Lubem Gena, the Commissioner extended his sympathy to the families of the victims and the Buruku community.
“Preliminary reports indicate that the mishap occurred in the course of routine river transportation,” he said.
Iyaghigba disclosed that a full-scale investigation has been launched to determine both the immediate and remote causes of the accident. “This will include possible violations of safety regulations, operational negligence, or environmental factors,” he noted.
He added that the Ministry has mobilised relevant stakeholders to intensify rescue and recovery operations. “We are committed to accounting for all passengers and conducting a thorough, transparent, and uncompromising investigation, with appropriate sanctions for any individual or operator found culpable,” the Commissioner stated.
Warning that recklessness and disregard for safety standards would no longer be tolerated, Iyaghigba assured that enforcement measures would be strengthened. These include vessel inspections, operator licensing, passenger safety education, and closer monitoring of river transport activities across the state.
The commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration to the protection of the lives and property of the people, stressing that “economic development must never come at the expense of human safety.”
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