Boat capsizes in collapsed Taraba bridge, three missing as residents decry govt neglect

Tension has escalated in parts of Taraba State and neighboring communities following the capsizing of a boat near the abandoned Namnai Bridge in Gassol Local Government Council, leaving three persons missing.

The tragic incident, as gathered by SOCIETY WATCH, occurred on Friday evening after a torrential downpour that lasted over three hours.

While local sources confirmed the accident, the exact number of passengers aboard the boat at the time of the mishap remains unclear. Search and rescue operations are said to be ongoing, involving local volunteers and emergency responders at the time of filing this report.

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 over a year ago and has remained in disrepair.

With no meaningful reconstruction efforts initiated by either the federal or state governments, residents have been forced to rely on makeshift boats to cross the river—an arrangement that has drawn increasing concern over safety.

Friday’s accident has reignited public outrage, with many describing the situation as a disaster waiting to happen.

SOCIETY WATCH reports that the bridge’s continued neglect has disrupted economic activities, strained travel and logistics, and now, tragically, endangered lives.

Professor John Ajai, a university lecturer who narrowly avoided a similar incident last week, described the bridge’s current state as “a daily threat to human lives.” Recounting his experience, Ajai said a boat he boarded was stranded mid-river when its propeller got stuck in the sand.

“We couldn’t berth. Passengers had to be evacuated under tense and unsafe conditions. The buses on board were stranded for over thirty minutes. It was divine mercy that prevented tragedy that day,” he said.

Ajai condemned what he called a “failure of national duty” by the Federal Government, criticizing the silence of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), both of which have yet to announce repair timelines or mobilize contractors to the site.

He also questioned the inaction of federal lawmakers representing Taraba, accusing them of not doing enough to raise the alarm.

“You may not be directly responsible for executing federal works, but your voices matter. Your silence also speaks volumes,” he said.