21 Missing, Two Rescued After Boat Sinks In Benue

Twenty-one persons have been declared missing after a boat carrying 23 passengers sank into a river in Benue State.

The incident occurred on Sunday in Makurdi Local Government Area of the state, the police confirmed in a statement.

Anene Catherine, who is the Police Public Relations Officer in Benue, said the accident involved 23 members of ECWA Church, Ijaha who boarded a boat to attend a conference across the River Benue.

In midstream, she noted that the boat sank into the river while a Marine Police search party was immediately deployed to the scene.

Catherine noted that two of the passengers were rescued while 21 persons were still missing.

The state governor, Samuel Ortom, who also confirmed the incident, sympathised with the families of the victims.

In a statement on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Governor Ortom described the incident as painful and unfortunate.

He urged members of Kwaghter community where the incident took place to cooperate with the police rescue team in finding the missing persons.

The governor reminded Benue people about this year’s weather predictions on torrential rains and advised those who travel by water to adhere to all safety measures to avoid unforeseen incidents.

He also asked residents to always observe the COVID-19 prevention measures by staying away from crowded places to curb the spread of the disease.