The Vice-Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Professor Muhammad Abdulazeez, has reacted to the death of students as a result of the bridge that collapsed by blaming other students who were taking selfies on it.
The VC made this known while receiving the Bauchi state Governor, Bala Mohammed who paid a condolence visit to the campus on Wednesday.
Recall, 4 students including one name Salmatu had plunged to their deaths when the bridge collapsed during heavy downpour.
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The VC said that the students had earlier written to the management requesting for a footpath from the hostel to the lecture halls as the main road was very far.
He said:
“The management felt that it was necessary to construct a metal bridge so that at a time, it would carry between ten and 15 people at a time.
This was not meant for static loads but for dynamic loads, that means, you don’t stand on it, you just pass.
From the report we received from some of the students, when the rain had stopped falling and the students were about crossing, they found the scene excellent for them to take selfies.
So they started from two and before you could realise, there were more than 30 students on the bridge standing, and that bridge was not meant for people to stand.
Some of the students could not pass and had to also stand, and the bridge suddenly collapsed and that was how we lost three students.“
Abdulazeez disclosed that investigations were ongoing to find out a cause and solution.
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