At least 11 mourners, including a pregnant woman and six children, are feared dead after a boat conveying them home from a burial ceremony capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area, Local government area.
The passengers had reportedly attended the burial of a woman from their community in Wadata, and were returning to Daududawadawa community, an island settlement located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) Barracks in the North Bank area of Makurdi, when the boat overturned midway through the journey.
Confirming the incident, Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group Nura Umar, explained that the deceased woman had been taken to a private hospital in North Bank earlier yesterday but died shortly afterward.
He said of over 40 passengers aboard the boat, but 11 are feared dead, four bodies have been recovered so far and buried while divers are still searching for the remaining victims.
Umar disclosed that among those feared dead were a pregnant woman and six children from the small riverine community.
