Heavy rainfall lasting over 12 hours on Friday, August 30, 2024, has caused the destruction of another bridge in Yobe State, Nigeria further isolating nine local government areas (LGAs) from Damaturu, the state capital.
The bridge, located at Jumbam in Bursari Local Government Area along the Damaturu-Dapchi federal road, was the last remaining route linking several northern and eastern LGAs to Damaturu.
Bala Mohammed, a driver from Babbangida in Tarmuwa Local Government Area, confirmed the incident to Channels Television. “The bridge collapse happened in the early hours of today,” he reported.
The affected areas include Machina, Nguru, Karasuwa, Bade, Jakusko, and Yusufari in northern Yobe, as well as Geidam, Yunusari, and Bursari in eastern Yobe. With both major roads leading to the state capital now cut off, residents are forced to either travel by canoe or take a lengthy alternative route through Hadejia in Jigawa State, which is over 500 kilometers away.
This disruption has severely impacted economic and farming activities in the affected regions of Yobe State.
