John Charles, Makurdi
Three elderly people were feared dead when mob protesting the death of eight of their loved ones during a boat accident, pounced on them in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday night.
The boat, carrying 13 passengers, was said to have capsized midway into the journey, killing the victims in the process.
According to reports, two of the bodies were recovered late on Thursday while three others were found on Friday morning. Three others remain missing.
Confirming the report, the Sole Administrator of Guma, Mr. Anthony Shawon, said that the accident was caused by overloading coupled with windstorm.
He said that the passengers were also drunk.
“The people were mourners who were heavily drunk. They refused to heed the advice of the boat paddlers for them to be ferried in two batches.
“I also learnt that at the time they were crossing the river, there was heavy wind. All these might have been responsible for the accident,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer, Benue State Police Command, ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident, saying there was a mob action in Gbajmgba Town but that normalcy had been restored to the area.
