Tragedy strikes as boat overturns in Benue, claiming eight lives

A boat carrying members of the Ibi local government council in Taraba State overturned on Sunday.

The incident took place in the nearby village of Anyeshi, Benue State.

This accident occurs just two weeks after a similar incident that claimed the lives of nearly fifty passengers in the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of the state.

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Noteworthy is the recent capsize in the state’s Binneri village of a locally constructed boat that was bringing traders from Mayoranewo market in Taraba’s Ardo-Kola local government council to Karim-Lamido council.

Isa Mohammed, the Head of Local Government Administration at the Ibi Council, confirmed the tragedy and said that more than eight individuals had died.

Isa acknowledged that every passenger on board was from the Ibi council, despite his earlier claims that the accident happened in nearby Benue rather than Taraba.

The HOLGA advised the residents of the council not to travel by boat at night, as they were unable to ascertain the exact number of passengers on board at the time of the incident.

The passengers were expected to be heading to a nearby market in Anyeshi village at 4:30 p.m.

A few Ibi villages said that council workers make up the bulk of the victims.

One of them stated, “I must confess to you that almost all the passengers are indigenes of Ibi local government council, even though the incident took place in the nearby Benue State.”