Kaduna community decries abandoned bridge a year after 6 students drowned
One year has passed since six students drowned in the Ribang River while returning from their Junior WAEC exams, and the Ribang (Mbang) community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State continues to express what they see as ongoing government neglect.
On Monday, the community released a statement marking the first anniversary of the incident, again urging immediate action to stop another tragedy like the one that happened in 2024.
The National Public Relations Officer of the Ribang Community, Simon Chinge, released a press statement in which residents remembered the schoolchildren who were lost to the river’s floodwaters because there was no bridge or safe road.
“This devastating incident did not just rob us of our children; it painfully exposed the longstanding neglect and infrastructural decay in Ribang land,” Chinge said.
After the tragedy, politicians from different parts of Kaduna State came to Ribang to offer their condolences and made many pledges, such as building a bridge, roads, a health centre, and schools.
But the community says that, even after one year, none of those promises has been kept.
There was a slight sense of progress earlier in June when personnel from the Kaduna State Ministry of Works visited the site to carry out an initial inspection of the Ribang River and the nearby roads.
Chinge said that this visit followed an order from Governor Uba Sani.
“Though long overdue, we recognise this as a critical first step towards meaningful change, and we sincerely thank Governor Uba Sani for listening to the cries of our people,” he added.
Now that the rainy season is beginning again, the community voiced renewed concern for the safety of schoolchildren, elderly residents, and women who need to cross the river each day.
Ribang residents are asking for immediate help from elected officials and the relevant government bodies.
They are calling on Senator Sunday Marshall Katung (Southern Kaduna Senatorial District), Murtar Chawai (House of Representatives, Kauru Federal Constituency), Barnabas Maigona (Kaduna State House of Assembly, Kauru Constituency), and Bashir Tanko Dawaki (Chairman, Kauru LGA).
Their requests include building a proper bridge over the Ribang River, accessible roads, a well-equipped healthcare centre, and good quality primary and secondary schools.
Community members warn that without proper medical facilities, people are still dying—especially children and pregnant women—and that poor educational access is putting the future of their children at risk.
“We will never forget the six children we lost. They were not just students, they were our future. Let their untimely deaths serve as a wake-up call to all,” the statement added.
While the community expressed appreciation to those who supported them throughout the year, they emphasized that what is now needed is action rather than sympathy.
“No community should be left behind in a nation that prides itself on unity and progress,” the statement concluded.
