6th August, 2019
Some students have died at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Gubi Campus, Bauchi State after a pedestrian bridge in the University collapsed on Monday night.
The victims who were on their way back to the hostel when the bridge that links one of the hostels and another building containing lecture rooms, collapsed during a heavy downpour.
The incident has led to a protest by students of the University blaming the bridge collapse on negligence by the school authorities.
The exact number of casualties is unknown as some sources within the school said between two and four students were swept off by the flood.
A source said: “I learnt that eight students have been killed, many others are missing. One corpse was found around the Nigerian Air Force Base (over 5 kilometres away), many are still missing.”
According to another source within the institution, “the bridge linking the classes with the hostels collapsed as a result of yesterday’s (Monday) torrential rain while students were returning to the hostels”.
A student of the University posted on his facebook account that, “We learnt that there was a sudden disaster which happened at ATBU, Gubi Campus, which affected many of our students, and there might be loss of lives. Please let’s pray for them, and anyone with relatives, brothers, sisters should make an enquiry about his or her well-being”.
The institution’s Spokesman, Dr Andee Iheme, told pressmen that “An emergency Senate meeting has been called this morning and we will hold a Press Conference immediately after that.”