Journey of no return

How Benue man lost wife, daughter, five relatives in boat mishap as rider, one-year-old baby, boat still missing

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

For Ali Mohammed and his family members, June 13, 2026 will remain a red letter day after what was supposed to mark the end of a painful chapter and the beginning of healing ended up in another bout of sorrow.

His family had just buried their mother, a woman whose sudden death had already plunged the household into grief. But before the day ended, tragedy struck again, leaving him and other family members with what many would describe as one loss, too many.

Sunday Sun had reported that, on that Saturday night, June 13, a boat carrying over 40 mourners capsized on the River Benue, leaving 11 persons dead, including a pregnant woman, six children, and four others.

It was said that the mourners were returning from Wadata community to Daududawadawa village, an island community located behind the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) in the North Bank area of Makurdi, after attending a burial ceremony.

It was gathered that the accident occurred between 7pm and 8pm during a heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds, which made navigation difficult on the river.

The Commander of Operation Shara (Operation Sweep), a local vigilante group in North Bank, Nura Umar, had confirmed the incident and explained that the relatives and sympathisers from Daududawadawa travelled to Wadata for a funeral and were returning home when the incident occurred.

Narrating the painful ordeal to our reporter, one of the survivors, Ali Mohammed, said his mother had collapsed at home that morning and family members rushed her to a local health facility, hoping she would recover.

But after several attempts to get medical attention, a doctor confirmed their worst fears that she was gone. The family moved her body to his elder brother’s residence in Wadata, Makurdi, the capital of the state, where burial arrangements were made. Other relatives  gathered, mourned, and eventually laid her to rest.

As evening approached after the burial, the family members prepared to return home by boat across the River Benue. Ali was expected to join them. But fate had its own way in a manner he could never have imagined.

A friend, who had come to visit persuaded him to travel with him by motorcycle instead. His wife and young daughter boarded the engine-powered boat alongside other relatives.

He said: “Going back after the burial, I was not in the boat. One of my friends, who visited me came on his motorcycle, said he wanted to go back and he asked me to join him on the bike instead. I even told my wife to take the bike with me but she said no. She said that since she came with one of her sisters, they would follow the engine boat.

“I bade them farewell and told her we would meet at home and she said okay.”

Back home, Ali waited and waited and when he did not see them, became uneasy as more time passed.

He further narrated: “So, when my friend brought me, we passed through the NASME Barracks. When we came home, I was waiting. I began to wonder why they were taking so much time to get home. I became very worried and agitated.

“The boat should have arrived, I thought to myself. Before you know it, one of my persons called me and asked Ali where are you? I said I was at home and he said something is wrong.

“I asked what it was and he said that boat that went to my mother’s burial capsized. He said the boat sank and they searched but couldn’t find anybody that was inside. The news was so devastating because the boat was carrying my family, friends and other relatives from his mother’s burial.

“I just came out and started running. I was shouting and calling people to come out and help me. Before we reached the riverside, according to my people, they said I fainted there because I couldn’t remember what happened at that time.

“The moment I reach the river side, I fainted. They carried me. They even feared that I died from shock. They carried me back home and, they took another boat and went in search for the people. They found some people alive and brought them back.”

Ali added that when he regained consciousness, he desperately searched for familiar faces.

“I kept asking, where is my wife? Where is my daughter? People told me they were coming behind.

“Before I knew it, I lost my wife and my daughter. All of them died in the river. My brother’s wife with his daughter died. My brother’s wife, my brother and his son died. My junior brother, his son, died. My elder brother and  his daughter died. So, I lost seven people in my house,” he said, his voice laden with grief.

Ali, who was staying with the mother in the village, described her death as a big blow to the family. He further narrated how the mother died.

“On that faithful morning, she just went to ease herself and fell there. When she fell, we called a doctor and the doctor said she was still alive because as he started giving her drip, the drip was going.

“The doctor told us to take our mother to the hospital. When we took her there, they told us that the doctor was not around, that we should take her to another hospital but before we even left there, the other doctor who followed us from the village, checked her and said she was no more.

“So, I said since my elder brother was staying in Wadata here, let’s take her there so that we do the burial arrangement.

“After the burial, we came back in the dark around  past 6pm. I spoke to my wife and my daughter hoping to see them when I come back to house. This is painful,” he said.

The elder brother, Usman Isiaka, told our correspondent that the accident was a great blow to the family. He said the victims had already embarked on the journey before the rain storm started.

“The storm started midway into the journey and the driver could not control it. Up till now, the bidy of the rider and one child have not been recovered and the boat in which they were traveling has not been found.”

He called on the state government to provide the community with needed social amenities like hospital, road and drinking water, among others.

Usman said: “If there was hospital here, we would not have taken my mother to that  hospital in Wadata. We would have been here and if she died here, we will not have to cross the river to bury her and may be this would not have happened.

“Our community is a rural village and we can’t escape water transportation. We need at least 1000 life jackets so it would go round.

“We need clean drinking water, our only source of water here is River Benue and you see so many particles inside. That makes the water not good for consumption and we develop illnesses like typhoid frequently.

“We have one road that leads to North Bank from Daudu Mbagwen village in Mballagh council ward. That road needs to be graded because whenever rains, it will be flooded, then breaks the bridge and we would not be able to pass unless with a boat.”

He appealed to the state government to look into their plight with a view ameliorating their sufferings and averting future occurrence.

The authorities of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed the incident and noted that one household suffered a devastating blow. The Area Manager of NIWA, Andrew Ndahi, said: “One family lost six people and the head of the family is the chairman of the maritime group in the community. For a man whose role involves overseeing maritime activities within the community, the loss is almost unimaginable. In a single night, he reportedly lost six relatives in the river that sustains the lives of many island residents.

Ndahi, however, noted that preliminary investigations by NIWA in  Daududawadawa, where the accident occurred  revealed that the journey violated several safety regulations. He said the boat departed after approved sailing hours and during dangerous weather conditions.

He said: “They violated the law. They started sailing around 7pm and the engine was faulty. Everybody knows there was a storm and strong wind during that period. He stressed that inland waterway regulations permit movement only between 6am and 6pm and require operators to suspend operations during storms.

“Our law says 6am to 6pm, but the boat sailed at 7pm. Again, the law says disengage when there is a storm or heavy wind. You can see there was serious wind and rainfall around that time.”

He also stated that the boat’s engine was faulty and that the operator ignored warnings against sailing during heavy rainfall and strong winds.

The NIWA area manager disclosed that one passenger was still missing as search operations continued adding: “The wooden boat operator has not been seen since the incident.”

He cautioned boat operators against carrying passengers beyond approved capacity and reiterated the compulsory use of life jackets, saying: “No life jacket, no sailing. All passengers, including operators, must wear life jackets.

“We are doing our best to make these people adhere to our rules and regulations to avoid tragedies. If they follow our rules, accidents will be minimal.”

He disclosed that NIWA would soon commence sensitization campaigns in riverine communities to remind operators and passengers of the need to strictly comply with safety guidelines on the nation’s waterways.

Meanwhile, the management of Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, (HYPPADEC), in company of officials of the Benue State Government, has visited the affected community to condole with the families and those who survived the accident.

The community leader, Alhaji Abubakar Idris, who welcomed the entourage, pleaded with the delegation to look into the most pressing needs of the community and assist them with safety measures on waterways transportation.

Some of their requests included building of school, primary healthcare centred, provision of solar boreholes, solar lights and safety jackets among others.

Responding, the managing director and chief executive officer of HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, consoled the families and community for their tragic loss. He promised that the government would attend to the issues they listed and pledged to build a three- class room primary school in the community, a solar borehole and install solar lights for the community.

During the visit, the community was also presented with 50 safety jackets.

In a press statement signed by the acting media information officer, HQ OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) Maritime Component, on the directive of the Force Commander Major General Moses Gara, issued a safety advisory to mariners, boat operators, passengers, and riverine communities following the rise in water levels caused by the ongoing rainy season.

According to the statement, the Maritime Component Commander, Lieutenant Commander Dusse Zakari, said the increased water volume, strong currents, and turbulence have heightened the risk of boat accidents that could lead to loss of lives and property.

He, therefore, directed all waterway users to strictly observe safety measures, including the compulsory use of life jackets, provision of life buoys on boats, and compliance with approved passenger capacities.

He said: “Essential safety and emergency equipment, including functional torch lights, extra spark plugs, and tarpaulins, are to be carried on board, mariners should desist from polluting waterways with non-biodegradable materials and other waste products.

“All maritime unions are to enforce the prohibition of night sailing. Marine operations are strictly restricted to the hours between 6.30am and 6.00pm daily. For security reasons, all boat operators must register with their respective unions and carry valid means of identification while operating on the waterways. Members of riverine communities are encouraged to promptly report any suspicious or criminal activities to relevant law enforcement agencies.”

Zakari warned that violators of the safety directives would be sanctioned in line with existing regulations and called on maritime unions to ensure strict compliance of the safety advisory among their members.

The maritime component of OPWS reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives, protecting property, and maintaining security on waterways within its area of responsibility, while urging members of the public to cooperate with security agencies and remain vigilant at all times.

However, as rescue teams continued the search for the missing persons, members of Daududawadawa community remain in sorrow and broken.