Boat Capsizes In Taraba With Over 100 Passengers

By Thomas Samuel 

A boat carrying over 100 passengers capsized mid water at  Benue river on Saturday.

Daily Trust learnt that traders, women and children, heading for Binnari town  in Karim-Lamido local government area of the state were on the ill-fated boat.

Many of the passengers were returning from Mayoreneyo fish market  in Ardo-Kola LGA.

The boat left Mayoreneyo local jetty at about 3.30pm and capsized 40 minutes later, according to sources.

A resident of Mayoreneyo, Musa Mayoreneyo, told Daily Trust that the ill-fated boat had earlier conveyed the passengers from Binnari to Mayoreneyo.

In a telephone interview, a resident of Binnari, said, “As l am  talking to you now, only bodies of two persons were recovered by local divers.”

A source  at the Mayoreneyo local jetty told our reporter that none of the passengers had life jacket when the incident occurred.

Acting chairman of inland water transporters in Taraba state, Jidda Mayoreneyo, told Daily Trust that  about 15 bodies were recovered close to the scene.

Confirming the incident, Chairman, caretaker committee of Ardo-Kola, Alhaji Dalhatu Kawu, described it as tragic.

When contacted, Police spokesman in Taraba, SP Abdullahi Usman, said he was yet  to receive report of incident.