At least 11 killed in Benue boat accident

Monday, June 15, 2026 - No fewer than 11 persons, including a pregnant woman and six children have reportedly d!ed in a boat mishap in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026 as the victims were crossing a river from Wadata to Daududawada community during a heavy downpour that swept across parts of Makurdi.

The commander of vigilante group, Operation Shara (Sweep), in North Bank, Nura Umar, told Daily Trust by telephone that the deceased comprised a pregnant woman, six children and four other adults.

Umar said the victims were mourners from Daududawada, an island community located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) Barracks in Makurdi’s North Bank area.

According to him, the victims had travelled to Wadata for the burial of a woman from their community who d!ed after being taken to a private hospital in North Bank for treatment.

“What happened was that we took a sick woman who lived in the community behind NASME to a private hospital in North Bank on Saturday morning, where she later d!ed," he explained. 

“Her relatives from the community joined us for the burial, which took place at Wadata. After the burial ceremony, they boarded a boat to return to Daududawada because it was a shorter route than travelling by road.

“At about 7 p.m., heavy rain accompanied by strong winds started, causing the boat to capsize midway through the journey.

“There were over 40 passengers on board, but 11 are feared d3ad. So far, we have recovered four bodies and buried them, while divers are still searching for the remaining seven victims."

Umar further disclosed that one of the survivors lost her baby during the incident.

“The woman had her baby strapped to her back. In the struggle to stay afloat, she lost hold of the child while trying to swim to safety. She did her best to save the baby, but the child had swallowed too much water and did not survive,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, rescue efforts were ongoing, with divers and local volunteers continuing the search for the missing victims, while residents of the affected community remained in mourning.