Tragedy struck in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State on Sunday evening as a middle-aged man lost five of his six children in a boat mishap.
According to local sources, the man and his children were returning home from the farm when the canoe conveying them capsized. The family of seven had reportedly gone to harvest cassava before the incident occurred.
One of the children was said to have survived the accident, while five others drowned.
A local resident who identified himself simply as Ameh told journalists on Monday that community members and local divers immediately launched rescue efforts following the incident. He said the tragedy had plunged the Obagaji community into mourning.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin James, said, “The man and six of his children had gone to the farm to harvest crops, but on their way back home, the canoe conveying them capsized and they drowned. Though the canoe was overloaded, which might have caused the mishap, the father and one of the children survived.”
James noted that the victim’s wife was not on board the canoe when the incident happened. He described the tragedy as “unfortunate” and extended his condolences to the bereaved family.
Boat mishaps have become a recurring tragedy in Benue State, particularly in riverine areas like Logo, Buruku, and Agatu LGAs.
In 2024, for instance, 14 mourners lost their lives when their boat capsized in River Buruku, while 26 passengers were rescued. Similarly, in December of the same year, another accident in Agatu claimed the lives of 20 traders, mostly women and children, when a wooden boat sank in the Benue River.
As of the time of filing this report, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Udeme Edet, could not be reached for comment, as calls to her phone went unanswered.
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