Farming communities in Erena and adjoining communities in Shiroro LGA of Niger State have appealed to the local and state governments to reconstruct the collapsed bridge connecting them and major markets, as well as Minna, the state capital.
Residents said the collapse of the bridge would undermine quick response of the military to attacks by bandits in the area as it was the only route to banditry-infested wards in Shiroro.
City & Crime learnt that the bridge, at Farindoki on the Erena-Shiroro road, collapsed when a borehole drilling truck was crossing it.
A resident, Ayuba Isyaku, lamented that, “The collapse of this bridge has disconnected the entire area from markets. It has disrupted the daily activities and livelihoods of the people in the area.”
Another resident, Shuaibu Awaisu Wana, told City & Crime that, “With the bridge being the sole access road to the state and Kuta, the LGA headquarters, economic activities have come to a halt, causing widespread challenges for the community.”
He, therefore, noted that, “The reconstruction of the bridge has become an urgent priority, not only for the convenience of the locals, but also for the effective counteraction against bandits.”
