Daily Trust (Abuja)
Fidelis Mac-Leva
7 July 2009
Twenty two persons, mostly women, died on Sunday when their boat capsized as they attempted to cross a river on their way to a naming ceremony in Jibu village of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.
A witness told Daily Trust yesterday that 40 passengers were trying to cross a tributary of the Benue River which passes through Jibu village to attend a child's naming ceremony when the boat capsized. The corpses of the deceased were seen floating on the river bank the following morning, the witness said. Volunteers from the village were said to have been quickly mobilised for rescue operation and recovery of corpses. There were indications that more dead bodies would be recovered. Among the dead were eight women who belonged to the same family, Daily Trust learnt. A dozen passengers on board the ill fated boat were said to have swam to the bank of the river where first aid treatment was administered to them before being taken to hospital.
Chairman of Wukari Local Government Council, Ladan Umar was said to have travelled to Jalingo, the state capital when the incident occurred but the member representing the area in the state House of Assembly, Josiah Sabo Kente, confirmed the mishap. He said the survivors, whose number he couldn't immediately ascertain, were taken to the General Hospital in Wukari for treatment. He said, "as soon as a report on the incident is compiled by the local government council, government would be contacted for the provision of relief materials."
Taraba State police command Public Relations Officer Babaina Sani confirmed the incident but said the command was yet to obtain a comprehensive report on the casualty figure. He however said the DPO in charge of the area told him that 17 persons were confirmed dead in the incident and that there was the likelihood of recovering more bodies.
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