Travelers Stranded as Namnai Bridge Collapses in Taraba

Travelers in Taraba State are currently stranded following the collapse of the Namnai Bridge, located along the Jalingo-Wukari trunk federal highway. The bridge, which was constructed two years ago, was washed away by heavy rainfall on Wednesday night, causing the River Namnai to overflow its banks.

The makeshift structure that served as a temporary bridge has also been swept away, rendering the route impassable for motorists. Reports indicate that individuals were charged between N3,000 and N20,000 per vehicle to use this route daily, which included hundreds of vehicles, including trucks.

Motorists, unable to cross, have been forced to park their vehicles on one side of the river and walk across to continue their journeys. Observations at the site show that reconstruction work on the collapsed bridge was awarded three months ago to the North East Development Commission, but progress has been slow.

The commission had previously assured that the project would be completed by December of this year.