The only access bridge leading to Ijala Ikenren community in Warri South local government, Delta State has collapsed, leaving a primary five pupil identified simply as Precious dead.
Fresh Angle reliably gathered that the incident occurred Friday May 3 at about 5:30pm when the primary five pupil alongside another child of school age, Master Divine Parker were on top of a motorbike returning from school when the incident happened.
The motorbike in which they were seated were waiting for an upcoming trailer to pass through the tiny bridge before their motorbike will go through it, when suddenly the obviously overstretched bridge collapsed, leaving both the up-coming trailer and another waiting to drive pass as well as the motorbike with its rider and the two school children falling into the small river.
Impeccable sources in Ifiekporo community told Fresh Angle that the motorbike rider managed to rescue himself and one of his passengers, Master Divine Parker, while Precious was not found until the following day when his corpse was found floating on the river.
The bridge linking Ijala, Ifiekporo and Ajametan communities at Gate 5 of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC Jetty was the only route linking the communities before the Delta State government opened up access to the communities through Ubeji community in the on-going Trans Warri Ode-Itsekiri Bridges and Access Roads.
The Transition Committee Chairman of Warri South local government, Dr. Augustine Uroye when contacted described the incident as sad and ugly, even as he promised government quick intervention.
Some elders of the community, including Mr. Gbesimi Nikoro and Henry Erikowa blamed the collapsed bridge on negligence by the relevant stakeholders.
They appealed to the state government and the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC to quickly fix the bridge which is the shortest route to the affected communities
Source: Freshangle