KADUNA — Residents of Ribang (also known as Mbang) community in Kauru Local Government Area have expressed deep frustration over the continued absence of a bridge across the Mbang River, exactly one year after six students drowned while returning from Junior WAEC examinations.
The incident occurred on June 25, 2024, at around 5:30 p.m., when six teenagers, Manasseh Monday (16), Musa John (16), Pius David (15), Monday Ayuba (16), David Danlami (19), and Yahuza Audu (16)—lost their lives to the river’s sudden strong current.
The victims were crossing among a group of eight pupils from Government Secondary School, Fadan Chawai. Two students survived while the other six tragically drowned and were later buried.
Reflecting on the anniversary, residents, under the leadership of Ribang Development Association’s Simon Ishaku Chinge, lamented the lack of follow-through on earlier promises by government officials to construct a bridge and upgrade infrastructure.
According to community statements, despite a preliminary site survey conducted by the Kaduna State Ministry of Works in early June, no actual bridge construction has begun.
Local leaders emphasised the urgency of the project, noting that with the onset of the rainy season, daily river crossings remain perilous for schoolchildren, women and the elderly.
The unfinished road network also exacerbates the community’s isolation, with residents often travelling up to eight kilometres to access schools, healthcare and markets .
The community has formally appealed to Governor Uba Sani, federal legislators, including Senator Sunday Marshall Katung and Representative Murtar Chawai, and the Kauru Local Government chairman to translate assurances into tangible action: the immediate construction of a standard bridge, motorable access roads, a healthcare centre and educational facilities.
While acknowledging that the survey by Ministry of Works officials is a welcome gesture, residents insist that concrete steps must follow. “We will never forget the six children we lost,” Ishaku stated, urging the government to move from words to action.