Benue Boat Accident: I Want My 2 Sons’ Corpses Out Of Water For Burial – Father

A father, Emmanuel Apaa, who lost two of his sons in a boat accident in Benue State, has said he prayed to God to bring their corpses out of the water for burial.

Apaa said he joined the rescue operations to recover the bodies of his two sons, “So far, five people have been recovered. My two sons were among those still inside the water. I pray to God to bring their corpses out so that I can bury them,” he said.

The remains of Rev. Moses Tswakpe, a priest of the Anglican Communion, Mbausu in Mbayion, Gboko local government area, who was among those confirmed dead in the ill-fated wooden boat incident at Buruku crossing point in River Katsina-Ala, Benue State, were buried yesterday.

Twakpe was among over 100 mourners and passengers who were returning from a funeral when the boat capsized last Saturday.

The Gboko Diocese of the Anglican Communion prayed for his soul to rest in peace,

According to the diocese’s post on its Facebook page, “Obituary! With a heavy heart but gratitude to God, we regret to announce the sudden transition to glory of Rev. Moses Tswakpe yesterday, 3rd October, 2026, by drowning in River Buruku. May his soul rest in perfect peace with the Lord.

“And the Rev. Moses Tswakpe was laid to rest. Painful reality.”

Meanwhile, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA) has said efforts were ongoing to locate more missing passengers.

SEMA said at least four dead bodies of the mourners returning from the funeral and other passengers were recovered after the incident, stating that more than 30 were believed to be inside the water.

After the spot assessment of the incident, the Head of Information Unit of Benue-SEMA, Tema Ager, stated in a statement that, according to information obtained during the assessment, 107 passengers and 38 Bajaj motorcycles were involved in the boat capsize.

“Eleven persons were reported missing, out of whom three have so far been found dead, while eight remain missing. Ten of the 38 motorcycles have been recovered, with efforts ongoing to recover the remaining 28 motorcycles and locate the missing persons,” SEMA added.