Benue government arrests ship operator, suspends Union, following accident

The Benue State Government has ordered the suspension of the operator of the line and directed the arrest and detention of a ship master involved in the ship incident that occurred on Saturday.

The state government also suspended the Nigerian Union of Maritime Workers (NUMW) branch at the Buruku crossing point following a ship accident that left several passengers still unaccounted for.

On Saturday a wooden boat carrying passengers capsized while crossing the Katsina-Ala River.

Some passengers were rescued after the crash, while others were reported missing, prompting a search and rescue operation by the state government.

The state’s Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy, Denis Iyaghigba, gave the order after carrying out an on-site assessment of the accident site.

The measures, according to the government, are part of immediate steps to prevent a recurrence of such incidents and ensure compliance with safety regulations on the state’s waterways.

The government, in a statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Orientation, Office of the Commissioner for Maritime and Blue Economy, Lubem Gena, said the Ministry had activated search and rescue operations following the accident.

It said the search operation was carried out in collaboration with local divers to intensify efforts to find passengers who were still missing.

According to the statement, “the Benue state government has suspended the Buruku crossing point branch of the Nigerian Union of Maritime Workers, NUMW, following a shipwreck on Saturday that left some passengers still missing although others were rescued.”

The commissioner who visited the scene also ordered that the line operator be suspended while the ship’s master was arrested and detained pending further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The statement quoted Iyaghigba as saying that government was determined to find out the cause of the accident and take action to prevent similar incidents in the waters of the state.

“The Ministry has activated search and rescue processes and is working with local divers to intensify search and rescue,” the Commissioner said.

He revealed that an inter-ministerial committee has also been formed to investigate the incident and find out the immediate, long-term and underlying causes.

Iyaghigba said the committee would interrogate the circumstances surrounding the accident and make recommendations aimed at strengthening safety standards at river crossing points across the state.

He further ordered strict compliance with mandatory use of life jackets at all river crossing points in the state.

According to him, the directive is part of efforts to strengthen safety and protect passengers using waterways in Benue.

The commissioner also expressed concern over a barge left at the crossing point which is believed to have contributed to the accident. As a result, he gave the owner of the abandoned barge a seven-day ultimatum to evacuate it from the crossing point or risk confiscation by the state government.

The statement said that the Commissioner will work closely with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, during the week to further interrogate the circumstances surrounding the accident and strengthen safety measures across the state’s waterways.

“The government said further details would be provided, but at this time, investigations and rescue efforts are continuing,” the statement added.