Tension has gripped communities in Taraba State and neighbouring regions following the capsizing of a boat near the abandoned Namnai Bridge in Gassol Local Government Council.
The incident, which occurred on Friday evening after a heavy downpour lasting over three hours, has left three persons missing as rescue efforts continue.
Local sources confirmed the tragedy, though the total number of passengers on board at the time of the mishap remains unknown. Search and rescue operations involving local authorities and volunteers are currently underway.
The Namnai Bridge, a vital link connecting Taraba State to Benue and other parts of the North Central, North East, and North West regions, collapsed last year and has since been left in a state of disrepair by both state and federal authorities.
The absence of any meaningful reconstruction work has forced residents and travelers to rely on unsafe makeshift boats to cross the river, a practice that has raised safety concerns.
The latest accident has reignited public outrage over the continued neglect of the collapsed bridge, with citizens describing it as a death trap and a major threat to social and economic activities in the region.
In a recent statement, Professor John Ajai, a university lecturer who narrowly escaped a similar ordeal last week, described the state of the bridge as “a daily threat to human lives.”
Recounting his experience, he said, “The boat’s propeller got stuck in the sand. We couldn’t berth. Passengers had to be evacuated under tense and unsafe conditions. The buses on board remained stranded for more than thirty minutes. It was divine mercy that prevented tragedy that day.”
Professor Ajai condemned what he called the Federal Government’s “failure of national duty,” citing the silence of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), both of which have yet to mobilise contractors or release any official repair timelines.
He also called out federal lawmakers representing the state for not taking visible steps to address the crisis. “You may not be directly responsible for executing federal works,” he said, “but your voices matter. Your silence also speaks volumes.”
Ajai further questioned whether such neglect would be tolerated if the collapsed bridge were in Abuja or Lagos, urging the Federal Government to treat the matter with the urgency it deserves.
As rescue operations continue, residents are once again calling on authorities at all levels to act swiftly before more lives are lost..
