Taraba: Four women die in boat mishap

Four women have reportedly drowned in a boat accident that occurred in Taraba State.

The incident, which took place on Wednesday evening on the River Benue in Taraba, occurred in the Mayo Ranewo area of Ardo-Kola Local Government Council.

The tragedy is coming barely a year after several people drowned in the same river and River Ibi, in Ibi Local Government Council, respectively.

DAILY POST recalls that in October 2023, over 50 people drowned when a boat capsized on the same river while travelling to a neighbouring village in Karim-Lamido.

The latest incident has once again cast a shadow over the community.

Sources from the community who spoke with DAILY POST confirmed that all the victims of Wednesday’s accident were women.

The boat, carrying over 30 passengers, was said to have set out from Mayo Ranewo in Ardo-Kola and heading to Belango in Karim-Lamido Local Government Council when the mishap occurred.

Though over 30 passengers were confirmed to have survived, some persons from the area said the local community is deeply in mourning.

One of them, Usman Sani, who expressed deep sadness over the tragedy, told DAILY POST the victims were not market women.

Following boat accidents that claimed several lives in 2023 in the state, Governor Agbu Kefas had vowed to implement measures to prevent future mishaps.

However, those promises remain unfulfilled as of the time of this report.

Some water transporters who spoke with DAILY POST expressed disappointment that a year later, the governor’s pledges to phase out old boats and enforce the use of life jackets, among other safety measures, have not been actualised.

When contacted over the incident, the Taraba State Police Command spokesperson, Gambo Kwache, said she had yet to receive any details of the accident.