Six mourners die after overloaded boat capsizes in Benue

Six people have died after a boat carrying mourners capsized on the Buruku River in Nigeria’s Benue State, months after the government introduced stricter rules for water transport. The accident occurred at about 11am on Saturday in Buruku Local Government Area. More than 70 people were on board while returning from a burial ceremony in neighbouring Gboko Local Government Area, according to Raymond Zege, the Buruku council chairman.

Mr Zege said the boat’s engine failed and passengers struggled to keep it afloat. Another boat moved in to help, but the vessel carrying the mourners encountered strong waves and overturned as people attempted to reach the rescue boat. He said overloading contributed to the accident and confirmed that six people had died.

The commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, said preliminary information indicated that a strong current swept the boat into an abandoned barge at a bend in the river. Mr Iyaghigba urged families to await verified information and said boat operators and their union had been directed to assist search and rescue efforts. The incident occurred after Benue introduced safety measures in January, following the deaths of six students in another Buruku boat accident.

The rules made life jackets compulsory, prohibited overloading and limited river transport to daytime operations, with services required to stop by 8pm. Mr Zege said life jackets had been supplied but acknowledged that enforcement was difficult. Some passengers reportedly resisted wearing them because they found them uncomfortable.

Earlier, officials had also said donated jackets had been vandalised. The government proposed a joint enforcement team involving security agencies, the National Inland Waterways Authority and state civil protection officers. The latest deaths have renewed concerns about safety for communities dependent on the waterways for transport, trade and access to services.