Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto
A deep humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Kuchi District of Kebbi Local Government Area, as residents face total isolation and neglect following the collapse of the only bridge linking the community to the rest of the state.
The town is situated along once busy highway trunk A Sokoto-Lagos road and the bridge collapse forced drivers and commuters to divert to Dakingari/ Bunza and Argungu before coming to Sokoto an additional of over 80 Kilometers.
The bridge, a lifeline for the agrarian district located 200 kilometers south of Sokoto metropolis and just 28 kilometers from Koko in neighboring Kebbi State, caved in several weeks ago.
Since then, the people of Kuchi have been left in complete darkness, with neither the state nor federal government offering any response.
Once a bustling hub for agricultural activities, Kuchi now lies in limbo cut off from essential services, trade routes, and security patrols.
Movement of goods, emergency services, and communication with nearby towns has been crippled, with residents forced to fend for themselves in harrowing conditions.
“This bridge was our only way to the outside world,” said Malam Ibrahim Garba, a community elder. “Now we are trapped abandoned like we don’t matter. Government officials have not even visited to see the suffering.”
The collapse has had devastating consequences. Farmers can no longer transport millet, maize, and groundnuts to markets in Sokoto and Kebbi.
Perishable goods rot away, livelihoods have vanished, and hunger looms large over households already struggling to survive.
Health emergencies have become death sentences. With no functioning hospital in Kuchi and no ambulances able to access the area, patients including pregnant women are transported dangerously on motorcycles or makeshift rafts over narrow wooden planks constructed by locals.
“Several women have suffered labour, and children are falling sick with no help,” lamented Hajia Maryam, a youth activist. “We are being treated as though we are not citizens of this country. We deserve better.”
Security has also deteriorated. The absence of motorable access has emboldened criminal elements along the border areas. With no police patrols reaching the district, residents live in constant fear of attacks from bandits who roam freely.
To cross the broken bridge, commuters must disembark from vehicles, walk across treacherous terrain, and reconnect with other vehicles waiting on the other side. Locals have built a narrow wooden alternative route, but only lightweight vehicles can pass and only after paying a toll.
Despite repeated cries for help by community leaders, traditional rulers, and civil society groups, the state government has maintained an alarming silence.
No assessment team has visited. No emergency plan has been deployed. The silence is deafening and deadly.
Kuchi has suffered long-standing neglect even before the bridge collapse. It has never been connected to the national grid, and residents rely on health facilities in Koko/Besse and Maiyama local government areas all in Kebbi State for medical care.
“This is a slow-motion disaster, and no one seems to care,” warned Hon. Musa Aliyu, a former local legislator. “If the government does not act swiftly, more lives will be lost, and the entire community may collapse beyond repair.”
The people of Kuchi are not demanding luxury or special favors. They are pleading for the barest minimum: roads, access to healthcare, and safety. They are citizens, not outcasts. Their cries for help are not political; they are a matter of life and death.
Residents are now calling on the Sokoto State Government, the Federal Ministry of Works, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to act urgently. An immediate intervention is required to rebuild the bridge, restore access, and protect what is left of this abandoned district.
The fate of over 10,000 Nigerians in Kuchi now hangs in the balance forgotten, isolated, and suffocating under the weight of official neglect. If help does not come soon, the cost may be irreversible.
