At least 11 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead following a boat accident on River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
The victims were said to be returning from a burial ceremony when the vessel conveying about 40 passengers capsized on Saturday night during heavy rainfall and strong winds.
A local resident, identified as Daniel, said the accident occurred between 7pm and 8pm while the boat was midway across the river en route to Daududawadawa community, an island settlement behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering barracks in the North Bank area.
A community vigilante commander, Nura Umar of Operation Shara (Sweep), confirmed the incident, explaining that the passengers had attended the burial of a woman from their community in Wadata before embarking on the ill-fated return journey.
He said the deceased woman had died earlier in a private hospital in North Bank, after which relatives transported her body for burial. However, tragedy struck on the return trip when the boat encountered a storm and capsized mid-river.
According to him, four bodies have so far been recovered and buried, while search operations are still ongoing for the remaining victims. He also disclosed that a survivor lost her baby during the incident.
The Benue State Police Command said it had not yet received official details of the tragedy when contacted.
Local authorities in Makurdi were also unavailable for comment as of press time.
The incident comes months after the state government introduced stricter safety measures for waterways, including mandatory life jacket use, following repeated boat accidents in the state.