Eleven passengers reportedly lost their lives on Sunday evening when a boat capsized on the Buruku River in the Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the Benue State Governor on Marine and Blue Economy, Paul Bebe, said in a telephone conversation that, so far, four persons had been confirmed dead in the incident.
According to him, four corpses have been recovered while others remain missing, and the search for the missing persons is ongoing.
A local resident, in a statement on WhatsApp, said six of the victims were students from Gbeji, Ucha Community in Ukum Local Government Area, who were returning to their schools in Gboko.
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It was also gathered from locals that some of the deceased were believed to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who were returning from a thanksgiving service in honour of an APC chieftain in Ugba town, Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area.
The SSA to the Governor on Marine and Blue Economy told our correspondent that he was yet to determine the exact number of people on board and what caused the boat to capsize.
“I am on my way to the scene with the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, I will get back to you when I have more information about what happened”, he noted.
Efforts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Udeme Edet failed as she was neither picking, returning her calls nor replying to text messages.
