A boat carrying over 70 mourners and more than 30 motorcycles across the River Katsina-Ala at the Buruku Local Government Area, LGA, crossing point in Benue State, capsized on Saturday morning, leaving several passengers missing.
The mishap happened at around 11am while the passengers, said to be mainly from Mbayon in Gboko LGA, were on their way back from the burial of a relative on the opposite bank of the river.
Reports indicate that several passengers were rescued after the accident, while search and rescue operations were still ongoing on Saturday afternoon for those yet to be found.
A witness in the area stated that the boat was heavily overloaded when its engine reportedly developed a fault midway through the trip.
Reports indicate that a number of passengers were pulled to safety after the accident, and search and rescue efforts were still underway on Saturday afternoon for those who remained missing.
A witness at the scene stated that the boat was carrying far too many people when its engine reportedly failed partway through the trip.
According to the eyewitness, “The boat was overloaded with many people and over 30 motorcycles, and they were coming from the Logo LGA side of the river at about 11am when the incident happened.
“Many persons have been rescued, but as we speak, I cannot tell you the actual number of persons that have not been seen or rescued from the river because the search is still ongoing. But many persons have not been seen as we speak.”
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Mr. Raymond Zege, stated that the victims were mourners from Gboko who had crossed the river to attend a burial.
Zege said the boat was carrying more than 70 people when its engine failed on the return trip, sparking panic among the passengers.
According to him, “The victims were mourners from Gboko who went for a burial on the other side of the river. They boarded a boat that was overloaded with over 70 persons. In the middle of the journey the engine of the boat failed, and they became panicky.
“And they also ran into a heavy wave, and the boat capsized before the boat that was sent to rescue them got to them.”
The council chairman stated that the precise number of passengers still missing had not yet been determined, and he added that rescue teams had already pulled a large number of passengers from the water.
“At the time we speak, we do not know the number of persons missing. So far we have not seen about six persons, but we have rescued over 60. Search and rescue operations are ongoing,” he said.
Zege also urged residents and other commuters who use the waterway to follow maritime safety rules, especially the wearing of life jackets.
He noted that the local government had supplied life jackets for commuters on the route, but he pointed out that some passengers frequently resisted attempts by maritime workers to enforce their use.
“People can be very difficult. There is a law, and we have provided life jackets for every commuter crossing that route. When they come and the maritime workers try to enforce the law, some commuters complain that they have health issues or that they do not want to share life jackets used by other people.
“We have provided the jackets, and the state government is also supporting efforts to ensure that maritime safety regulations are enforced,” he said.
According to the chairman, “Sometimes the maritime officials come for enforcement, including at night. People should cooperate with them because the safety measures are meant to protect lives,” he said.
In the meantime, the Benue State Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Hon. Denis Iyaghigba, verified the confirmation in a statement he signed personally on Saturday.
The commissioner stated that he had gotten preliminary accounts of the mishap and called on families and the public to stay calm as authorities kept working to determine how many people were involved and to rescue anyone who could still be trapped or missing.
“I have received preliminary reports of an unfortunate boat mishap at the Buruku crossing point this morning, Saturday, 3rd October, 2026,” Iyaghigba said.
“I wish to assure members of the public, particularly families of those who may have been aboard the boat, to remain calm and await verified information from the appropriate authorities. No effort will be spared to ensure their safety.”
Iyaghigba stated that he had instructed boat operators and their union downstream to mobilize and assist with the ongoing search and rescue operation.
“I have directed the boat operators and their union downstream to mobilize and assist in the ongoing search and rescue operation,” he said.
He added that “further details will be communicated as the rescue operation progresses.”
At the time this report was filed, search and rescue efforts were still underway, and authorities had not yet provided a definitive count of the passengers on board or those still unaccounted for.
