No fewer than 11 people, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead after a boat carrying mourners returning from a burial ceremony capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening amid heavy rainfall and strong winds, according to local sources.
A resident, who spoke on Sunday, said the victims were travelling back to Daududawadawa, an island community behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering Barracks in Makurdi's North Bank area, after attending the burial of a woman in Wadata.
The boat, reportedly carrying more than 40 passengers, overturned midway through the journey between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. as a rainstorm swept across the area.
Confirming the incident, Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group in North Bank, Nura Umar, said the passengers had attended the burial of a community member who died earlier on Saturday.
"The deceased woman was taken to a private hospital in North Bank where she passed away. After her burial in Wadata, relatives and sympathisers boarded a boat to return home," Umar said.
"Heavy rain and strong winds began during the journey, causing the boat to capsize. More than 40 people were on board, and 11 are feared dead."
Umar disclosed that four bodies had been recovered and buried, while search efforts were ongoing for the remaining victims.
He added that one of the survivors lost a baby who had been strapped to her back when the boat overturned.
The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive an official report on the incident.
The tragedy comes about six months after the Benue State Government announced stricter safety measures to curb recurring boat accidents across the state's waterways.
The measures, unveiled in January, included mandatory use of life jackets and compliance with safety regulations by boat operators.
Rescue operations were continuing as of Sunday evening.
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