Five years after suspected attackers destroyed the bridge linking Yelwa Zangam community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, allegedly to prevent security forces from reaching the area during a deadly attack, the bridge remains unrepaired despite a government promise to fix it.
The damaged bridge, which residents say has remained a critical link to the community, is now deteriorating further, with its iron support structures pulling apart and raising fresh concerns about the safety of residents and road users.
The bridge was vandalised on August 24, 2021, hours before the community was attacked, with wooden planks laid across its iron structure removed and thrown into the river.
Residents also discovered that bolts holding the iron structure together had been loosened, effectively cutting off the community from the main road.
The destruction was particularly significant because it reportedly delayed the movement of security forces responding to distress calls from the community during the attack.
Contemporary reports of the incident quoted military authorities as saying troops struggled to reach Yelwa Zangam because the bridge had been destroyed.
The subsequent attack claimed the lives of 37 people, mostly women and children, with 17 of the victims reportedly burnt beyond recognition at the residence of the village head.
Five years later, however, the bridge that was at the centre of the community’s security crisis remains largely in the same state.
A visit to the community by our reporter showed that the iron structures supporting the bridge were pulling apart and appeared to be at risk of collapsing.
Despite the condition of the bridge, residents said they have no alternative but to continue using it.
A commercial motorcyclist in the community said residents were aware of the danger but had no other means of accessing the area.
“We have no option but to use the bridge the way it is, although it is risky,” he said.
The situation has revived questions over the government’s response to one of the major infrastructure and security concerns raised by the community after the 2021 attack.
On August 29, 2021, then Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong visited Yelwa Zangam to sympathise with residents and families of the victims.
During the visit, Lalong pledged a swift response to the community’s demand for the repair of the damaged bridge.
The government also promised to establish a local police outpost in the community and mobilise relief materials from the federal and state governments for affected households. Reports from the period confirmed that the bridge had been destroyed in circumstances that hampered security access to the community.
However, five years after the promise, community leader Bagudu Amos said the repair of the bridge and construction of the proposed police outpost were yet to be fulfilled.
Amos appealed to the Plateau State Government under Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene and repair the bridge, saying its poor condition continues to create hardship for residents.
He also called for the construction of the police outpost and deployment of security personnel to the community, noting that residents had already provided land for the project.
Amos acknowledged the mobilisation of relief materials to affected households by the state government, non-governmental organisations and individuals, as well as the deployment of security agencies to the community for a period following the attack.
However, he said the repair of the bridge and construction of the police outpost, which were among the community’s major demands after the attack, remained outstanding.
According to him, repairing the bridge would improve movement, strengthen security access and boost the socio-economic activities of the community.
Yelwa Zangam is an agrarian community where residents produce vegetables that are transported to markets in Jos.
One of the village heads, Mr Ajida Isa, said the community produces a significant quantity of vegetables sold at the popular Farin Gada Market in Jos North Local Government Area.
Isa said repairing the bridge would therefore benefit farmers and traders who depend on the road to transport their produce.
He also said the road could serve as an alternative route for motorists travelling from Bauchi State to Kaduna State through Zaria Road.
According to him, the route could provide a bypass connecting Bauchi Road to the NEPA area along Zaria Road, all within Jos North Local Government Area.
For residents, however, the bridge represents more than a transport link.
Its destruction in 2021 was reported to have hindered security forces from reaching the community during an attack that left dozens dead. Five years later, the same structure remains unrepaired and is now showing signs of further deterioration.
Residents are therefore calling on the Plateau State Government to revisit the long-standing commitment to repair the bridge and construct the promised police outpost, saying both projects remain critical to their safety, movement and economic activities.
