The rains came hard and fast on Friday evening, and with them, tragedy followed.
In the quiet community of Namnai in Gassol Local Government Council of Taraba State, what began as a routine crossing ended in horror.
A boat ferrying passengers across the collapsed Namnai Bridge capsized. Three people are now missing, feared drowned.
For locals, it’s a nightmare they had long feared and warned about.
The boat was one of many makeshift solutions forced on the community since the Namnai Bridge, a major link between the state and several regions of the North, collapsed over a year ago.
Despite repeated appeals, both the state and federal governments have yet to commence reconstruction, leaving thousands to depend on risky river crossings.
“It could have been me,” said Prof. John Ajai, a university lecturer who had narrowly escaped a similar incident just days earlier.
He had boarded a boat that got stuck mid-river when its propeller jammed in the sand.
“We were stranded for over thirty minutes. It was terrifying. People panicked. If not for divine intervention, we might have been the ones in the water.”
Read also:
- Tragedy on Niger River: 13 dead as overloaded boat sinks near Niger-Benin border
- 6 persons die, 2 others missing after boat flips in Lake Tahoe
- Navy arrest 3 suspected oil thieves, seize 6 boats in Delta
Friday’s accident has once again thrown the spotlight on the deep sense of abandonment felt in Taraba State and neighbouring states.
Rescue operations are ongoing, led by volunteers and local authorities, but hopes of finding the missing persons alive are fading by the hour.
The Namnai Bridge was more than just infrastructure. It was a lifeline.
Farmers used it to reach markets, children crossed it to get to school, and families traversed it to reunite with loved ones.
Now, it lies in ruins and with every rainstorm, every river surge, it becomes more dangerous to bypass.
Community members gathered near the riverbank on Saturday morning, some searching for missing loved ones, others offering silent prayers. Anger, too, simmered just below the surface.
“It’s like we don’t matter,” said Miriam Ado, a trader who makes weekly trips to Benue. “If this bridge were in Lagos or Abuja, it would have been rebuilt within weeks. But because it’s Taraba, they ignore us.”
Prof. Ajai didn’t mince words either. “This is a national disgrace. The silence of the Federal Ministry of Works, FERMA, and our so-called representatives is appalling. What are we supposed to do? Wait for the next tragedy?”
His questions echoed across the soaked and grieving community: Where are the contractors? Where are the timelines? Where is the leadership?
As the search continues and another rainy season deepens the dangers, residents say they are left with only faith and fury.
“We’re tired of burying our people,” said a local youth leader. “We want action. Not condolences.”
Until that action comes, the people of Gassol live with the haunting fear that the next boat to sink could carry someone they love.
