Benue boat accident death toll rises to four

The death toll from the boat accident on the Buruku River in Benue State has risen to four, including a clergy member named Rev. Fr. Moses Tsuagh. The Information Officer for the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Tema Ager, reported this on Sunday through a phone interview with a correspondent. At the time of the incident on Saturday, Ager mentioned that over 200 people, including 138 members of the Okada riders' association and others gathered by the waterside, were on board the boat.

He explained that there were 32 Okada riders with their motorcycles, and each rider carried three people, totaling around 138 passengers. Additionally, other mourners joined them, leading to an estimated 200 individuals on board. The SEMA Information Officer stated that 38 motorcycles were still submerged at the time of the interview.

Ager confirmed that four bodies had been recovered, with Rev. Fr. Moses Tsuagh among them, and nine people were still missing. The victims were returning from a burial ceremony in neighboring Gboko Local Government Area. The Benue State government has suspended the Buruku crossing point of the Nigeria Union of Maritime, the line operator, and arrested the boat skipper involved in the incident.