Pupils and residents of Mokwa and Rabba communities in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State continue to face daily hardships months after the May 29 flood, which killed hundreds of people and washed away the only bridge linking them to schools, hospitals, markets, and farmlands.
With the main bridge destroyed, locals are forced to rely on a fragile, community-built wooden structure that now struggles under constant use.
Sources from the affected communities, who spoke to SaharaReporters on Friday, say the temporary bridge is no longer sufficient to meet their daily needs.
“The only bridge was washed away during the May 29 Mokwa flood, which killed over 200 people and made many homeless,” a resident said.
“Before the local wooden bridge was constructed by the community, people crossed through the water.”
Rabba youths built the makeshift bridge after the flood destroyed the original structure, but residents say the government has failed to act on promises made during official visits.
“We come together as a family with resources available. We built a temporary wooden bridge to ease our movement, which the Governor of Niger State, Umaru Mohammed Bago, passed through during his visit, where he promised us that the bridge would be built immediately,” another resident said.
“We are in the fourth month and nothing has been done.”
Governor Bago had announced ₦7 billion for three new bridges; two in Mokwa and one in Rabba, pledging that work would commence immediately.
Federal authorities also announced ₦16 billion for the repair of the Mokwa bridges. But the sources lamented that “not even a rope” has been put there, emphasising the failure to deliver even minimal progress.
Residents expressed frustration over the continued inaction.
“Promises not fulfilled like every other promise. Due process is delaying, and there is no explanation of the cause of the delay,” one of the residents said.
The destroyed bridge remains a barrier to daily life. Pupils risk their lives crossing the temporary structure to reach school, while families struggle to access healthcare, markets, and farmlands.
“Nigeria is truly a place where promises build faster than bridges,” a source said.
Until government intervention materialises, residents face daily hardships, navigating life-threatening conditions to carry on with basic activities and survive.
