Yes! A structural collapse is expected in Nasarawa State, but not of the concrete erected to ease movement and support the economy of the State. Not even the human conscience that should promote, love, peace, and common prosperity. What the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should collaborate to dismantle is the structure that has sustained communities in Nasarawa State as bases from which attacks are launched by killers Herdsmen on Plateau and Benue State.
Governor Sule has been at the center of controversy surrounding allegations of harboring killer herdsmen responsible for attacks in Benue State. Though he has consistently denied these allegations, challenging accusers to provide empirical evidence to support their claims. In fact, he has threatened to take legal action against those making these claims if they fail to retract their statements and tender an apology. But Nasarawa hasn’t ceased to be the territorial Headquarters of rampaging Herdsmen in the North Central Region. Calling to mind the saying, “no smoke without fire”. The world can see the cloudy dark smoke of terror over Plateau and Benue State, it is therefore not wrong to ask the Governor to put out the fire in his state causing the smoke choking Plateau and Benue and the rest of our Nation.
On the strategic importance of Nasarawa communities to herdsmen attacks in Benue and Plateau State, it’s evident that Nasarawa’s geographical location makes it a critical factor in the region’s security dynamics. The state shares borders with Benue and Plateau, and its terrain has been implicated in the movement and activities of herdsmen. Some communities in Nasarawa have been accused of providing shelter or support to herdsmen, which has contributed to tensions with neighboring states.
Though in a familiar semantic response to these challenges, the governments of Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau states have pledged to work together to address insecurity in the region. They are committed to joint actions through their emergency management agencies to tackle herdsmen attacks and promote peace. But the reality of the personalities and performances of the Governor of the tripod states stare us in the face. Their failure with regards to security no one should condone, not even Mr President should dare it in his desperation for reelection.
In a shocking yet eerily familiar display of institutional failure, a newly commissioned flyover in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has collapsed barely three weeks after it was declared open for use. In saner societies, such a catastrophic event would jolt the conscience of the nation. Resignations would follow. Arrests would be made. Investigative panels would be summoned. Public trust would be reaffirmed through visible, transparent action. But this is Nigeria — the country where tragedies quickly become footnotes, and impunity is institutionalized.
To date, no one has been held accountable. No names have been mentioned. No contractor summoned. No government official queries. Not even a whimper of an official explanation from the Nasarawa State Government. Instead, silence — the loud, complicit silence of those who should answer to the people. It is as if the lives at stake, the taxes wasted, and the future imperiled mean nothing to those who swore oaths to protect the people.
Was the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Nasarawa State on June 25, 2025, politically targeted at harvesting the performance of the Governor to convince Nigerians about the APC and consolidate on his re-election in 2027?
The collapse of Lafia Flyover and Underpass, constructed at the whooping cost of ₦16 billion has raised the question; was it hurriedly finalised for Presidential commissioning without due diligence? A project aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving road SAFETY in Lafia, the state capital. How come what was intended for safety has translated to death and destruction?
The flyover is the first of its kind in the region, expected to facilitate smoother vehicular movement and support economic growth but it has become the first of its kind to collapse in Nigeria.
During his commissioning visit, President Tinubu praised Governor Abdullahi Sule for his prudent management of public resources and commitment to development. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the federal and state governments in driving economic growth and national development. The collapse of the bridge should be the collapse of the collaboration Mr President openly sought with the Governor. If the safety of Nigerians is of essence to the President’s desire to continue in 2027, which I have no personal reasons against. But let it be made clear in the words of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the re-election of Muhammadu Buhari, that failure shouldn’t be reinforced. Sule, Alia and Mutfwang have no reason to be back as the Governors of their States. Political magnanimity of the President to have Mutfwang back as shown during the town hall meeting in Benue over insecurity is appreciated, but we can’t afford to keep playing politics with the lives of our people. This is not about politics. Two years is enough to conclude on the capacity of the Trio to solve security problems. There is nothing more to offer in less than two years against what they have offered in their over two years in office.
The collapse bridge is nothing but institutionalisation of insecurity, we therefore ask:
Who was the contractor that delivered death wrapped in concrete?
What agency supervised the construction and what was their report before commissioning?
Who signed off on its structural integrity?
Was there a commissioning oversight report at all?
How many lives have been lost, injured, or disrupted as a result of this disaster?
A bridge collapsing just weeks after it was declared fit for public use is not just a construction failure — it is a moral collapse, a governance collapse, a collapse of citizenship and responsibility.
The silence of the state government is not just damning — it is dangerous. It reinforces the culture of impunity where life is cheap, and accountability is optional. Worse still, it sends a chilling message that state-sponsored infrastructural murder is tolerable if hidden behind bureaucratic silence.
This tragedy must not be swept under the carpet. Where is the Nigeria Society of Engineers?
We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rise beyond political comfort and act in the interest of national safety. The President must immediately set up an independent Commission of Enquiry to determine:
- The identity and capacity of the contractor.
- The procurement and approval process for the flyover.
- The regulatory agencies and government officials who supervised and approved the project.
- The number and identity of casualties.
- And above all, to recommend stiff penalties and policy reforms to ensure this never happens again.
This is not about politics — it is about human lives, taxpayers’ resources, and the image of a nation already battered by corruption and insecurity. If a flyover can collapse within weeks in broad daylight, then what future are we building in secret?
The people of Nasarawa — and Nigerians at large — deserve better. We must not move on. We must not become a people whose tolerance for disaster has become a national signature.
This collapse must be laid at the feet of every complicit actor: from the contractor to the commissioner, from the engineer who signed off a death trap to the political officeholder who looked the other way. This is worse than killer herdsmen hiding in bushes — this is social murder committed in full glare of government and society.
It is time to stop normalizing abnormality.
This bridge must not only be rebuilt; our sense of public accountability must be rebuilt with it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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I live in Lafia close to the newly commissioned bridge. Lafia flyover is intact. The author of this article didn’t verify his facts and it is unfortunate. The bridge that collapsed is in Keffi, Nasarawa State. That bridge was constructed by the FG and has been there for some years now. The whole premise of this article was built on falsehood and it is terrible.