Justice for Namnai Bridge Victims: Why Taraba Can’t Stay Silent Anymore [#RIPJustice4Tarabans]
- Simon Zaku
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
🎁 Download Our Local Action Pack [below, OG]:
5 Things You Can Do to Demand Justice for Victims of Neglected Public Infrastructure in Nigeria
Hellooo, IbiFounderrrss!!!!
Its your booyyyy Simon Taki Zaku [OG IbiFounder] and even though the reason for this blog post is very sad.
And as I type this article, my hands are literally shaky.
[Annndddd yes, I, Zaku, am actually reaaallyyyy typing this right now, word for word - not AI]
So without wasting any more time, let me bring our attention to something very important, timely, and in fact crucial for us all.
Not as Tarabans!
Not as Nigerians!!
Not even Africa!!!
Humanity neeeeeds this to survive.
Read on, I'll explain...
It’s been nearly a year since the Namnai Bridge in Gassol LGA, Taraba State, collapsed.
Since then, thousands of travelers, farmers, and locals have been risking their lives daily — all because no one in power has done the needful.
Personally, the thought of that route going to my hometown alone can make me rethink (but I just too loooove Wukari)
But this past week, a tragedy struck.
And this time, it took the lives of beautiful, innocent Nigerians who were just trying to cross a river.
[Soooo sad thinking of the fact they made a Snapchat video minutes before going on the "wooden patches that heavy cars, vehicles drive and park on. Then another 20 - 30 minutes on water crossing.]
Their names are Aisha Rilwanu Maiwada (22 years old and pregnant), Bara’atu Bala Yaroji (a mother of two), and Yusuff Badawi Bala (a promising young citizen).
And we at IbiFoundry cannot — and will not — stay silent.
(it even breaks my heart to think that they may have come accros IbiFoundery or have been on our website here - who knows, maybe they were Proud IbiFounders)
WHAT IS COVERED?
What Happened at Namnai Bridge?
The Victims and the Pain They Left Behind
A Year of Government Silence & Broken Promises
Daily Life Now: Chaos, Danger, and Rising Costs
What We Demand
Resources You Can Use to Join the Protest
A little About [Me] the Writer
What Happened at Namnai Bridge?
The Namnai Bridge, a federal link between Jalingo and Wukari, collapsed after severe flooding in mid-2024.
It has not been rebuilt to this day.
Since the collapse, locals have been using boats, makeshift rafts, and risky bush paths to cross the river — with no official safety provisions.
On July 26, 2025, a boat overloaded with passengers, motorcycles, and vehicles capsized near the ruined bridge.
Three lives were confirmed lost.
Others are still missing.
Their only crime?
Trusting an unofficial ferry route — because their government abandoned a federal bridge for almost a full year.
The Victims and the Pain They Left Behind
These are not just names — these are real lives cut short:
Aisha Rilwanu Maiwada, 22 years old, pregnant, still missing at the time of writing.
Bara’atu Bala Yaroji, mother of two, drowned.
Yusuff Badawi Bala, a young Nigerian full of promise, now gone.
Their families now grieve in silence, with no compensation, no apology, and no justice.
These deaths were 100% preventable.
A Year of Government Silence & Broken Promises
Since the bridge collapsed, here’s what Nigerians in Taraba have heard:
April 2025: The Minister of Works promised work would begin. Nothing happened.
May 2025: NEDC said they awarded a ₦19 billion contract for rehabilitation. No work started.
July 2025: Lawmakers remained silent. No press releases, no on-site visits, no real action.
Instead, citizens were left with floodwaters, broken routes, and ferry operators with no regulation or safety.
Professor John Ajai — a prominent academic — reported multiple incidents of buses stranded mid-river, passengers climbing onto flooded boats, and serious danger to lives.
This silence is deadly.
Daily Life Now: Chaos, Danger, and Rising Costs
Here’s what life looks like every day for people in Gassol and beyond:
Truck drivers spend up to ₦10,000 on informal ferry crossings
Farmers abandon fields because they can’t reach markets
Students are missing school or taking deadly detours
Patients can’t access health centers in time
Local Businesses are shutting down because supplies can’t cross the river
This is not a small inconvenience.
This is systemic destruction of lives and livelihoods.
What We Demand
We join every grieving family and affected community in demanding the following:
✅ Immediate compensation for the families of all deceased victims
✅ Urgent reconstruction of the Namnai Bridge — no more delays
✅ Independent investigation and accountability into the delay
✅ Public apology from NEDC, FERMA, the Ministry of Works, and our State/National Assembly reps
✅ Emergency transport and flood measures, including regulated boats, floating bridges, and contingency routes
Wait, IbiFounder! Resources You Can Use to Join the Protest
Download the IbiFoundry Local Action Pack → Includes protest flier templates, contact info of lawmakers, and WhatsApp group links
🔗 Hashtags to use on social media: #FixNamnaiBridge | #JusticeForAisha | #BuildBridgesNotGraves
📍 Join physical protest points across Gassol, Jalingo, and Wukari (dates in Local Action Pack)
This is not just about Taraba.
This is about the worth of Nigerian lives.
This is about Africa.
About the World. About humanity.
FINAL WORDS
Every minute that passes without a working bridge is a potential death sentence.
The next boat might sink.
The next detour might flood.
The next person might be your relative.
We demand more.
We demand justice.
We demand that Aisha, Bara’atu, and Yusuff did not die in vain. And may their beautiful souls rest in perfect peace Amen.
📍 Download the Local Protest Pack + Join the Movement Today
About the Writer: Simon Taki Zaku [CEO, Founder, IbiFoundry LTD]
Simon Taki Zaku is the Founder of IbiFoundry.com.ng [LTD], a Taraba-based digital platform empowering thousands of Nigerians with information, community, and resources to live better.
He writes and advocates on issues of tech, justice, local innovation, and citizen visibility.
Follow Simon’s work or contact the IbiFoundry team here → https://www.ibifoundry.com.ng/contact-ibifoundry-team
Instagram: @IbiFoundry @Realsimonzaku__
Facebook: Simon Taki Zaku [CEO], IbiFoundry by Simon [Brand Page]
Pinterest: @IbiFoundry
The tragedy at the Namnai Bridge in Taraba State truly breaks my heart. To think that lives were lost – at least three confirmed dead, with others still missing – because a bridge that collapsed over a year ago hasn't been fixed is just agonizing.