At least, six students have lost their lives on Monday after the boat they were travelling in capsized middle of Buruku River in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred at about 10:00 p.m. while the boat was midstream, ferrying passengers, many of whom were students returning to school alongside several vehicles.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the boat, reportedly carrying more than 45 passengers, began to take in water before sinking.
Rescue efforts led to the recovery of 35 survivors, while several others remain unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continue.
Witnesses attributed the accident to overloading, noting that the combined weight of passengers and vehicles overwhelmed the wooden boat.
“This tragedy could have been avoided,” one eyewitness said, lamenting the recurring nature of such incidents due to weak enforcement of safety regulations and inadequate monitoring of inland waterways.
A source, Jethro Moor said the boat which was over-loaded with passengers and goods made a detour to deep side of the river because of the ongoing construction of bridge across the river.
He said the deceased were young students returning to various schools in Gboko after the Christmas holidays.
Moor said the corpses have been deposited in the morgue while arrangements were on to give them a befitting burial.
Reacting to the development, the Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Denis Iyaghigba, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, describing the incident as a painful reminder of the dangers associated with unregulated river transportation.
He assured that the state government would take decisive steps to prevent a recurrence, including intensified enforcement of safety standards on waterways, stricter penalties for overloading, routine inspection of boats and jetties, and sustained public sensitisation on water transport safety.
Search operations, according to authorities, are ongoing to locate missing passengers, while the government has pledged support for affected families.
When contacted, the Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet confirmed the incident but said she is yet to be fully briefed.
Benue boat mishap claims lives of six students as others remain missing
Original Source: https://dailypost.ng/2026/01/21/benue-boat-mishap-claims-lives-of-six-students-as-others-remain-missing/