Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A pregnant woman, six children and four other adults are feared dead after a boat carrying more than 40 mourners capsized on the River Benue in Makurdi Local Government Area on the night of Saturday, June 13, 2026. The vessel was returning from a burial ceremony in Wadata, a suburb of the Benue State capital, when it overturned between 7 and 8 p.m. amid a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds.
According to local sources, the passengers were residents of Daududawadawa, an island community located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) Barracks in the North Bank area of Makurdi. They had earlier transported the remains of a woman from their community to Wadata for burial after she died at a private hospital in North Bank on Saturday morning. Following the burial, the group boarded a wooden boat for the return journey across the river, a route they considered shorter and more convenient than travelling by road.
Nura Umar, Commander of Operation Shara (Sweep), a local vigilante group in the North Bank area, confirmed the incident to journalists on Sunday, June 14. He said the boat, which had over 40 passengers on board, was hit by severe weather conditions and capsized mid‑journey. “At about 7 p.m., heavy rain and strong winds started, and the boat capsized halfway into the journey,” Umar recounted. “There were over 40 passengers aboard the boat, but 11 are feared dead.”
Umar disclosed that the deceased comprised a pregnant woman, six children and four other adults. As of the time of his briefing, four bodies had been recovered and buried. Local divers and community volunteers were continuing search operations for the remaining seven missing victims. In a heartbreaking detail, Umar added that one of the survivors had a baby strapped to her back during the crossing but lost the child when the boat overturned.
The disaster has plunged the close‑knit community of Daududawadawa into deep mourning. Residents gathered anxiously along the riverbank, hoping for news of those still missing as rescue efforts continued.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive an official report on the incident. Attempts to reach the Chairman of Makurdi Local Government, Joseph Keffi, were unsuccessful.
The tragedy comes barely six months after the Benue State Government announced a comprehensive enforcement initiative to improve waterway safety. In January 2026, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, launched a programme requiring passengers and boat operators to wear life jackets and comply with other safety regulations. Saturday’s capsizing has once again highlighted the risks faced by the state’s riverine communities, where overcrowded wooden boats often operate in poor weather without basic safety equipment.
As divers continue the search for the missing, the people of Daududawadawa wait for news that may never come, and the river that has always been their highway has become a graveyard.
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