FATHER LOSES FIVE CHILDREN IN BENUE BOAT MISHAP

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

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 accident while returning from the farm.

According to local sources, the man and his six children were on their way home after harvesting cassava when the canoe conveying them capsized midway across the river. Only the father and one of the children survived.

A community resident, who identified himself simply as Ameh, told journalists in a telephone interview on Monday that local divers and residents immediately launched rescue efforts after the incident.

“The entire Obagaji community is in mourning. The rescue team recovered the bodies of the five children shortly after the canoe capsized,” Ameh said.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin James, described the tragedy as devastating.

“The man and his six children had gone to the farm to harvest crops, but on their way back, the canoe capsized and they drowned,” he said. “Preliminary reports suggest that the canoe was overloaded, which may have caused the mishap. Unfortunately, five children died, while the father and one child survived.”

James extended condolences to the bereaved family and urged residents to exercise caution while traveling by water.

Boat mishaps have become a recurring tragedy in Benue State, particularly in coastal communities such as Agatu, Logo, and Buruku.

In 2024, 14 mourners drowned in River Buruku while returning from a burial in Logo Local Government Area, and in December of the same year, 20 traders mostly women and children lost their lives when a wooden boat capsized in Agatu.

Efforts to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Udeme Edet, for comment were unsuccessful as her phone rang out.