The Chairman of Buruku Local Government Council, Hon. Raymond Zege Aondoakura, has issued a firm directive making the use of life jackets compulsory for all passengers crossing the River Katsina-Ala at the Buruku Crossing Point, regardless of their status or position. The order applies to every individual boarding boats at the location and requires strict compliance from passengers, boat operators and members of the Maritime Union.
This safety measure comes in the wake of a tragic boat mishap that recently occurred at the same River Buruku Crossing Point, an incident that has left the community in mourning and drawn widespread attention across Benue State. The capsized vessel was reported to have been carrying 38 motorbikes when it went down. Recovery operations have been ongoing since the accident, with emergency responders, members of the Boat Maritime Association and local teams working to retrieve the submerged motorcycles and locate victims. As of the latest updates, only 10 of the 38 motorbikes had been recovered, while efforts continued for the remaining 28. The full casualty figure has yet to be officially verified, though reports confirmed that several lives were lost in the disaster.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the Benue State Government took decisive steps. The Buruku crossing point branch of the Nigeria Union of Maritime Workers was suspended, the skipper of the ill-fated boat was ordered arrested and detained, and the line operator was directed to halt operations. An inter-ministerial committee was constituted to investigate the immediate, remote and underlying causes of the mishap. The State Emergency Management Agency also deployed a response team for on-the-spot assessment, while the Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy stressed the mandatory use of life jackets across all river crossing points in the state.
Questions have also been raised about the fate of life jackets previously donated to the boat union in Buruku by Rev. Anger PhD, Assistant General Secretary of the NKST Church. Residents have publicly asked whether those safety vests were available and properly utilised at the time of the accident.
Against this backdrop of loss and public concern, the Buruku Local Government Chairman’s directive represents a practical step toward preventing a repeat of the tragedy. By making life jackets compulsory for every passenger without exception, the council aims to strengthen safety standards on the waterway, compel operators to prioritise the lives of those they ferry, and restore a measure of confidence among communities that depend on the crossing for daily movement, trade and livelihood.
The chairman’s order underscores a growing recognition that safety on Benue’s rivers cannot be left to chance or voluntary compliance. With recovery efforts still continuing and investigations ongoing, the compulsory life jacket policy stands as a clear signal that the recent loss of lives must not be in vain.
