MAKURDI – About twenty persons are feared to have lost their lives in a boat mishap that took place on the Benue River, around the Agatu axis of Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
Although efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue State command, SP Sewuese Anene, to confirm the incident proved abortive, the
Chairman, Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin James, confirmed the incident.
He, however, said that he was yet to ascertain the actual number of those that lost their lives to the incident, as he was receiving conflicting figures.
According to him, “It is true that there was a boat mishap yesterday, when the victims came to Ocholonya market, which is situated in Agatu Local Government Area.
“What I learnt was that when they (victims) were returning to their base in Apochi and Odenyi communities in Doma in Nasarawa State the boat they were traveling in capsized.
“I am trying to get my colleague from Nasarawa State to see how we can go there to visit the families and console them”.
He, however, noted that “the conflicting report is that sources said that 20 people have died but there has been no recovery of corpses to my knowledge.
“Though the locals confirmed that local divers have recovered some corpses but as chairman I must be able to speak authoritatively. I want to establish contact with divers to know the actual number of bodies recovered but their lines were not connecting.
“But the person that gave me the information said that 20 corpses have been recovered. He also said that he saw those corpses and that some people are still missing.”
However, the Chairman of the LGA said he has already informed the Commander of the Nigeria Navy in the area to assist in the rescue mission.
Narrating the incident that led to the mishap, a native of Ocholonya, who identified himself as Adanyi, said the victims were mostly women and children.
He explained that the victims had gone to Ocholonya to trade on a market day and were returning to Doma, Nasarawa State when the boat they were traveling in capsized.
“Yesterday (Saturday) was Ocholonya market, and this market is within Agatu LGA, but the people who were mostly women and children were returning to their base in Odenyi in Nasarawa State when the boat they were traveling in capsized and all of the died”, he said.
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