Hundreds Stranded as Minna-Bida Bridge Collapses in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Hundreds of passengers and vehicles have been stranded following the collapse of a portion of the Minna-Bida road in Niger State.

Motorists and their passengers are now left in dilemma as crossing from Kakapangi to Minna or vice versa has become almost impossible.

The collapse of the road ‘which has now become an annual event’ is as a result of heavy rains in the last one week.

As a result, THISDAY learnt that a long queue of vehicles has been formed on both sides of the road.

According to the findings, some of the private and commercial vehicles plying the road either returned to Bida or Minna while those from Bida have been forced to follow the longer route of Lemu to Zungeru to Minna.

The vehicles from Minna, according to the findings, turned back to follow the long route of Minna-Lapai-Agaie-Bida road.

Also, articulated vehicles that could not turn at the damaged section of the road hired locals to evacuate their goods into rented vehicles at the other end.

 Some of those caught in the mess were those going to Bida to felicitate with the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, on his 70th birthday and 19 years of ascension to the throne.

The state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Lafya, could not be reached for comment.

The state government on September 18, 2018, awarded the contract for the dualisation of the 84 Kilometre Minna-Bida road to an indigenous construction firm, Dantata and Sawoe.

So far, according to experts, only 5 percent of the job has been executed.