Residents of Ikot Mfon, in Etinan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have appealed for urgent reconstruction of the collapsed Ikot Mfon/Ndiya bridge.
The bridge, built by the military during the Nigerian Civil War, has claimed at least three lives, including schoolchildren, since its collapse in 2011.
Speaking on Tuesday, community leader Ekaette Akpan, representing the village head, lamented the severe impact on residents’ lives and economic activities.
She stressed that residents have been completely cut off, disrupting trade, education, and healthcare access to Ndiya, Eket, Oron, and beyond.
Akpan, flanked by Deputy Village Head Obong Safety Tony, urged Governor Umo Eno to intervene urgently and prevent further casualties.
In July 2023, Etinan State Constituency representative Uduak Ekpo-Ufot raised the issue in the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly.
Ekpo-Ufot described the bridge, built around 1970, as a death trap, forcing residents to use unsafe boats for daily activities.
He warned that without immediate intervention, more lives could be lost, and economic hardship in the area would worsen further.
