The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA) has called for compulsory use of life jackets on the state’s waterways following a boat mishap that left three people dead and eight others missing.
Benue-SEMA made the call after its assessment of Saturday’s boat accident at the River Katsina-Ala crossing point in Buruku Local Government Area.
The agency said 107 passengers and 38 Bajaj motorcycles were on the boat when it capsized while returning passengers from a funeral.
Eleven people were initially reported missing. Three have since been found dead, while eight remain unaccounted for, according to findings from the assessment.
Ten of the 38 motorcycles involved in the incident have also been recovered, while efforts are continuing to retrieve the remaining 28.
The Executive Secretary of Benue-SEMA, James Iorpuu, who was represented by the agency’s Head of Administration, Samuel Atii, led the response team to the affected community.
The team met officials of the Tombo Canoe Maritime Union of Nigeria, Buruku Local Government Council, the boat operator and rescue team, as well as traditional rulers and community leaders to obtain information on the accident and ongoing search operations.
Following the assessment, Iorpuu called for the establishment and strict enforcement of a compulsory life-jacket law for all waterway users in Benue State.
He also called for appropriate sanctions against those who violate the proposed safety requirement.
The agency said search and recovery operations were still ongoing to locate the eight missing passengers and recover the remaining motorcycles.
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