From Nahum Sule, Jalingo
Atleast 5 person are said to have been missing in the River Benue section of Taraba State in Mayo-Reniwo village of Ardo-Kola Local Government following a boat mishap over the weekend.
The boat which was conveying 14 passengers from Karim Lamido to Mayo Reniwo on the strech of the river Benue was said to capsized due to excessive tides of the river.
The spoke person of the Taraba State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSP. Abdulahi Usman told news men in Jalingo that the boat was carrying 14 passengers when it capsized.
According to him, while nine of the passengers were successfully rescued, five other passengers were missing and might have been drowned. Usman said search operation was on for the five victims.
Our correspondent gathered that one of the five persons missing in the accident is Rev. Shedrack Bako, a pastor with the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria (CRC-N).
When contacted, Taraba State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Isaiah Magaji said he was aware of a boat mishap, but could not ascertain the calibre of persons involved in the accident.
“I am yet to get a clear picture of the incident because the reports that are available to me now are very scanty. I am still expecting detail report of what actually happened and who are the people involved,” he said.
