The Federal Government has assured residents of Essan community in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State of urgent intervention on the Lambata–Lapai–Agaie–Bida Road after a tanker explosion in the area claimed several lives and destroyed property earlier in the week.
This assurance was made known in a press release issued on Friday by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed A. Ahmed, following a condolence visit to the community by a delegation representing the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, CON.
Engr. Umahi, represented by the Director of Highways (North Central), Salihu Kolapo Ahmed, described the incident as a tragic and avoidable loss of lives. He condoled with the bereaved families, stating that “the Federal Ministry of Works mourns with you at this difficult time. We pray for the peaceful repose of the departed souls and strength for the families they left behind.”
He said the tragedy underscores the need to hasten construction work on the Lambata–Lapai–Agaie–Bida Road, explaining that the Ministry “is fully committed to ensuring safer and more reliable roads to avert future occurrences of such tragedies.”
According to him, the government will no longer tolerate delays on the project, which remains a critical economic and mobility corridor for Niger State and the nation.
Engr. Ahmed announced a directive to the contractor, Messrs CGC (Nig.) Ltd., to increase equipment on site or face sanctions, stressing that “the pace of work is too slow and unacceptable. The contractor needs to mobilise more resources and let us have free movement of vehicles. Failure to do so in the next few days will attract decisive action.”
Responding, the Dekechi of Essan, Alhaji Muhammad Dauda Muhammad, expressed gratitude for the visit but urged quicker intervention on the road. He said the community has endured too many fatalities, describing the road as a “death trap” that makes travel difficult and dangerous. He implored the Federal Road Safety Corps to stop the illegal transportation of people in tankers and trucks, revealing that “most of those who lost their lives were not indigene but travelers carried on the tanker.”
Deputy Director of Construction in Niger State, Engr. Nasir Ahmed, noted that the directive aligns with state-level efforts to reduce accidents on the route. He appealed to motorists to cooperate with contractors, cautioning that impatience often contributes to road obstruction, saying “they should be patient and follow instructions so that work can progress smoothly.”
Project Manager, Mr. Fan Bo, assured that the company is mobilising additional resources within days to improve movement and intensify activity on the critically failed sections of the road.
The Lambata–Lapai–Agaie–Bida Road spans 124.8
kilometres. Phase One, from Lambata to Agaei, covers 92 kilometres and is nearing completion, while Phase Two, from Agaei to Bida, is expected to be awarded soon.
The Ministry reaffirmed that safety and rapid response to road-related incidents remain a central focus of its infrastructure mandate under the leadership of Engr. Umahi.
