Atleast 21 drown after boat capsizes in Nigeria

At least 21 people are feared dead after a boat they were travelling in capsized in Benue River, a major tributary of River Niger.

Luckily, two people were rescued by marine police who aptly responded to the ill-fated incident said police spokesperson Catherin Anene on Sunday. 

The victims of the accident according to police were members of a local church headed for a conference in Makurdi the capital of North-Central Nigerian state.

Police reported that the boat sank due to overloading.

The incident is not the first in the central African country which experiences such disasters almost on an annual basis. In 2018, a boat capsized in Northern Nigeria killing 21 people while eight were rescued. Just like the Sunday incident, the boat from 2018 was also overloaded.

The boats in the region have also been known to be poorly maintained increasing the risk of such accidents especially in rainy seasons that leave the river swollen and with strong winds.