SEVERAL passengers and vehicles, including trucks, have been stranded along the Limankara-Gwoza Road in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State after a heavy downpour washed away a bridge along the route.
News Point Nigeria reports that the affected passengers, some of whom have spent two days stranded on the road while travelling to Mubi in Adamawa State, said the situation had left hundreds of travellers without food or access to essential supplies.
Daniel Adamu and Abubakar Audu told Channels Television that the heavy rainfall had worsened an already difficult journey along the road, which they described as a route affected by insecurity.
“Due to heavy rainfall, hundreds of passengers are stranded without food on the road, which is already associated with insecurity,” they said.
Passengers and vehicles were seen attempting to cross a flooded section of the Limankara-Gwoza Road after the heavy rainfall washed away a bridge in Gwoza, Borno State.
According to the travellers, the construction of the bridge had previously been awarded but was not completed, leaving road users vulnerable to the devastating impact of the downpour.
“As you can see, all these vehicles left Maiduguri on their way to either Gwoza, Mubi or Yola, the capital of Adamawa State.
“It has been raining for the last two days, which has made it difficult for us to cross to the other side as both sides of the bridge have been washed away,” they said.
A damaged bridge along the Limankara-Gwoza Road in Gwoza, Borno State, was left impassable following the heavy rainfall.
The stranded passengers appealed to the Federal Government and the Borno State Government to intervene urgently, saying they were facing severe hardship on the route.
“We call on the Federal Government and the Borno State Government to come to our aid; we are seriously suffering on this road.
“I learnt some lives were lost while crossing due to the high volume of water,” they said.
Following the damage to the bridge, passengers travelling to Yola from Borno State may now have to take the Damaturu-Gombe route, with the alternative route stretching about 500 kilometres.
The Damaturu-Biu-Yola road, which provides a more direct connection, has also been affected by poor road conditions and security concerns, including reports of abductions along the route.
The latest disruption has therefore compounded the difficulties faced by travellers using the Borno-Adamawa corridor, with passengers now calling for urgent intervention to restore access and ensure the safety of motorists and other road users.