Hundreds of passengers and vehicles were stranded after a portion of the Minna to Bida road in Niger collapsed due to heavy rainfall.

Motorists were in a dilemma as crossing from Kakapangi to Minna, or vice versa, had become almost impossible.

The collapse of the road, which has now become an annual event, resulted from a heavy downpour in the last week.

A long queue of vehicles had been formed on both sides of the road, with some private and commercial vehicles plying the road either returning to Bida or Minna.

Similarly, those coming from the Bida end were forced to follow the longer route from Lemu to Zungeru and down to Minna.

Vehicles from Minna end turned back to follow the longer route of Minna-Lapai-Agaie-Bida road.

Articulated vehicles that could not turn at the damaged section of the road hired locals to evacuate their goods into hired vehicles at the other end.

Some of those caught in the web of the tragedy were those going to Bida to felicitate with the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, on his 70th birthday and 19th year of the ascension of the throne of his forebears.

The Commissioner for Works, Mohammed Sani, could not be reached for comment.

The Niger Government, on September 18, 2018, awarded a contract for the dualisation of the 84kms Minna-Bida road to an indigenous construction firm, Dantata and Sawoe.

Experts, however, said the work had only reached five per cent of execution. 

(NAN)