20 Dead in Boat Accident In Benue

A total number of twenty victims in Gums Local Government Area of Benue State lost their lives in a boat accident. The boat capsized on the way, while they were returning a burial ceremony.

Mr. Anthony Shawon, sole administrator of the area, in a chat with newsmen in Makurdi, disclosed that the boat, which was conveying mourners, was overloaded when it capsized near Kaambe crossing point at Gbajimba. He made it convincing that the  cause of the accident was a mighty wind, he said that most of the mourners, who survived were reportedly heavily drunk, with which there had refused to heed to the advice of the boat paddlers who had insisted they would first of all ferry some number of persons across the river and later return to carry the others.

Due to the anger expressed by the youth in the area, They held a protest making bonfire while alleging that the incident has a superstitious connotation, at that process The district head of Gbajimba Gwatse Akaahena had the windscreen of his car smashed and three elders were stoned to death and their houses set ablaze.

“When arriving the area Gbajimba in Benue state, I could glance a protest as the youths made bonfire alleging that the incident has a spiritual connotation when meeting them I tried to calm them down but to no avail rather they went around wildly pursuing every elder in the area. Then I took a glance at another group of Indian hemp smokers with machetes parading the area.

I hastily reported the incident to the soldiers and mobile police who swiftly intervened and restored security to the
area”, Shawon said to the newsmen.

According to him, no arrest has been made at the time of the incident. Thereafter, Mr. Moses Yamu the State Police Public Relations’ Officer (ASP), confirmed that the incident, had no mob action in Gbajimba, just as normalcy and security have restored to the area while an investigation into the cause has commenced.