Rescue Operations Continue After Nigerian Boat and Road Disasters

Four people have been confirmed dead and nine remain missing after a boat capsized on the Buruku River in Benue State, according to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency. The victims were returning from a burial ceremony, and the recovered dead included Rev. Fr.

Moses Tsuagh. SEMA information officer Tema Ager said more than 200 people may have been aboard the boat, including Okada riders, passengers and mourners who joined at the waterside. The agency said 38 motorcycles remained underwater.

Earlier information put the number of motorcycles belonging to riders at 32, with six others reportedly lost after additional boats crossed the river. The state government has suspended the Buruku crossing-point branch of the Nigeria Union of Maritime. Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy Dennis Iyaghigba also ordered the suspension of the line operator and the arrest and detention of the boat skipper.

The reports do not provide a confirmed explanation for the capsizing or say whether the missing passengers have been located. In Plateau State, the death toll from a separate multiple-vehicle crash on Hawan Kibo Road in Riyom Local Government Area rose to 21. Channels Television reported that a truck apparently suffered brake failure on Friday evening and struck other vehicles travelling towards Jos.

The collision involved the truck, a Hummer bus and a motorcycle, and the bus caught fire with victims trapped inside. Federal Road Safety Corps officials inspected the scene and urged motorists to maintain vehicles, with particular attention to braking systems. Authorities continued managing traffic and removing damaged vehicles.

The material does not state how many people were injured in the Plateau crash or whether the investigation has established a final cause beyond the reported brake failure. A separate security operation is under way in Imo State after gunmen attacked two buses carrying prospective National Youth Service Corps members travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom. Punch reported that 19 passengers were taken into the bush at Umunoha, while Channels Television said security agencies initially reported that 10 victims had been rescued.

The later account from police and army officials described efforts to reach the remaining captives. Police said drones had identified a suspected camp but that operatives delayed entering because intelligence indicated it might be fitted with improvised explosive devices. Officials said bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers were being prepared.

Families reported demands of ₦50 million for each victim, though Channels noted that the number abducted and the identities of any rescued passengers remained subject to clarification because the transport manifest had not been released.