Nigeria: Benue Boat Mishap - 5 Bodies Recovered, 6 Still Missing

What the report says

Five bodies have been recovered and six people remain missing after a boat accident on the River Benue at the Buruku crossing point in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State, according to Daily Trust’s report distributed by AllAfrica. The mishap occurred on Saturday morning, when a wooden boat carrying passengers back from a burial ceremony capsized around 11 a.m. Witnesses said more than 120 people were rescued, while 11 were initially reported missing.

By Sunday afternoon, search teams had found five bodies, and rescuers were continuing efforts to locate the remaining six. The Tombo Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria said the recovered victims were from Mbayion in Gboko Local Government Area. A union spokesperson said the number of missing persons was first believed to be seven before being revised to 11, with work still underway to confirm and recover the rest.

The report also noted calls from affected relatives for prayers and support. Benue State’s emergency agency said its officials had reached the scene for fact-finding and search assistance, though rising water levels were making operations more difficult. Separately, the state government suspended the Buruku crossing-point branch of the Nigeria Union of Maritime Workers, ordered the arrest of the boat skipper, and directed strict enforcement of life-jacket use at river crossings. It also gave the owner of an abandoned barge a seven-day deadline to remove it or risk confiscation, underscoring ongoing safety concerns on inland waterways.