Governor Samuel Ortom has expressed sympathy for families of the 23 victims whose boat capsized while crossing River Benue.
The expression was contained in a statement signed and made available to reporters by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase.
According to the statement, the governor described the incident as painful and unfortunate.
He also consoled ECAN Church, Ijaha, Makurdi Local Government Area which members were involved in the boat mishap.
He added that marine police personnel were immediately deployed to the area, assisted by local divers in rescuing the victims.
The Governor urged members of Kwaghter community where the incident took place to cooperate with the police rescue team to enable it find the missing persons.
He reminded Benue people about this year’s weather predictions on torrential rains and advised that those who travel by water should employ all safety measures to avoid unforeseen incidents.
Governor Ortom enjoined Benue people to always observe COVID-19 prevention measures by staying away from crowded places to curb the spread of the disease.