By Deborah Mdima Adekaa.
The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is struggling to establish the exact number of passengers aboard the boat that capsized at the Buruku crossing point on River Benue, even as search and rescue operations continue.
The agency has confirmed four deaths, while 125 passengers have so far been rescued and more than nine others remain unaccounted for.
The incident occurred on Saturday, October 3, 2026, when a wooden boat reportedly developed engine problems while conveying passengers and motorcycles across River Benue at the Buruku crossing point in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Head of Information Unit, Benue-SEMA, Tema Ager, disclosed this in a telephone interview on Monday in Makurdi.
Ager said information gathered from survivors, relatives of victims and community leaders suggested that about 138 people may have been involved in the incident.
However, he said authorities were yet to establish the actual number of passengers who boarded the ill-fated boat.
According to him, the uncertainty has made it difficult to determine the exact number of people still missing.
“We are still trying to reconcile the figures from survivors, relatives and community leaders to establish the actual number of people who were on the boat,” Ager said.
He explained that rescue teams were continuing their search for missing passengers, while divers had also been deployed to recover motorcycles and other belongings believed to have sunk in the river.
Ager said 38 motorcycles were reportedly on the boat, with three passengers said to have been associated with each motorcycle.
So far, five motorcycles have been recovered, leaving 33 others at the affected location as recovery operations continue.
He said the agency was working with relevant authorities and members of the affected community to establish the circumstances surrounding the mishap and account for everyone believed to have been aboard the boat.
Ager appealed to river users to take water-safety measures seriously, particularly the use of life jackets.
He said life jackets had previously been provided to passengers using the waterway but noted that some travellers still ignored the safety precaution.
He urged passengers at the Buruku crossing point and other waterways across the state to wear life jackets and obey safety instructions to reduce the risk of further loss of lives.
Earlier the Benue State Government had ordered the suspension of the of the Buruku Crossing- point of the Nigeria Union of Maritime Workers following the incident that left many unaccounted for.
The Commissioner for Maritime and Blue Economy, Mr Dennis Ter Iyaghigba announced the development during an on the spot assessment of the accident scene.
The Commissioner said the government is working with local divers to intensify search and rescue efforts for those still missing.
The search and verification exercise is expected to continue until authorities are able to establish the whereabouts of all persons believed to have been involved in the incident.