From Godwin Agia, in Jalingo
No fewer than three people have reportedly died on Friday night in a boat mishap in Taraba State.
Citizenship Daily learnt that the incident happened around 7.20 pm Friday when an engine boat carrying passengers and vehicles overturned in the water while crossing the Namnai River along Jalingo-Wukari road in Taraba.
The chairman,, Taraba State Inland Water Transporters, Jidda Mayoreniyo, while speaking to our correspondent on the incident, confirmed that three people died in the boat mishap and several others rescued.
The Namnai Bridge, once a critical link connecting Taraba to Benue and other parts of the North Central, North East and North West regions, collapsed in September last year and has remained in disrepair.
Also speaking on the recent development, a Taraba State University Don, Professor, John Ajai, accused the Federal and State Governments of negligence, citing the lack of safety measures and failure to reconstruct the Namnai Bridge, which collapsed a year ago.
“A few days ago, I issued a public appeal. I warned that the failure to repair the Namnai Bridge, which collapsed exactly a year ago, was putting lives at risk. That warning was not theoretical. I had just crossed the same river by ferry, and the experience was terrifying. The boat was overloaded. There were no life jackets. No visible safety checks. I remember thinking, If this ferry goes down, no one will come for us.
“Yesterday, 25th July, 2025, it happened.
“A ferry carrying passengers and vehicles capsized at the same spot. Three lives have been confirmed lost. Several people might still be missing and property worth millions lost! Families are waiting for news they should not have to hear. And the worst part is; this was entirely avoidable.
“It is difficult to describe the anger and heartbreak I feel. For a whole year, the Namnai Bridge, a major federal road connecting several parts of Taraba State to the rest of the country, has been left broken and abandoned. Nothing has been done. No visible sign of any serious efforts to reconstruct the bridge is in sight! No work has started. No one has stood before the public to give an honest update or take responsibility.
“Meanwhile, thousands of people still need to cross that river every day. They cross by using makeshift boats, because they have no choice. And yet not a single measure has been put in place to make those crossings safer. The ferry operators appear not to be properly trained. No safety equipment. No emergency response teams. Just silence, and now, death.
“Let us stop pretending, this is just a technical problem and failure of the government. This is a human problem. It is about the value that Nigerian government places on people’s lives, or do not. If this bridge were in Abuja or Lagos, do you really think it would have been left untouched for 12 months? Would people be left to cross the river like that, every day, without any support? Let us be honest, they wouldn’t.
“It is true that the bridge is the responsibility of the Federal Government. But that does not excuse the inaction of the Taraba State Government. While we waited for the federal authorities to act, the state could have, and should have, stepped in to protect people. It did not. And that failure has now cost lives.
“We do not want condolences. We do not want vague promises. We want action.
“The Federal Government must treat the Namnai Bridge situation as the national emergency it is. Mobilize the contractors. Publish a real timeline. Start the work. No more delays.
“The Taraba State Government must, without any further hesitation, regulate the ferry operations on that river. Make sure every boat is inspected. Make sure every operator is trained. Make sure life jackets are available. Deploy emergency responders. Do not wait for another accident.
“We cannot bring back the lives lost on July 25th. But we can choose not to let this happen again. I will keep speaking out until something changes, because silence is no longer an option.
President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I use this medium, to once again call on your government to rise up to its responsibilities, which Namnai bridge is one,” he said.
