30 students were on the collapsed bridge taking selfies – ATBU VC

The Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Muhammad Abdullazeez, while receiving the state's Governor Bala Mohammed who paid him a condolence visit, alleged that 30 students were taking selfies when the bridge they stood on in the school collapsed. 

Recall that LIB reported that some students lost their lives after the metallic bridge linking the  hostels and lecture halls collapsed at about 11:45pm on Monday August 5.  While some students were declared missing, seven others were reportedly injured in the incident. 

Commenting on the death of the ATBU students, the Vice Chancellor said the metal bridge could only carry 10-15 people at a time and only meant for dynamic loads not static loads.  Muhammad Abdullazeez dispelled rumours that trailed the incident by stating that only 3 students died and no one was missing after the incident. 

He said,  “The management felt that it was necessary to construct a metal bridge for  between 10 and  15 people at a time. It was  not meant for static loads but for dynamic loads, that means, you don’t stand on it, you just pass.

“The reports we received from some of the students were that  when the rain had stopped  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 it, 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. As  of  today we don’t have any student missing.

“Based on our records, no student is missing for now. Three students –two from Kogi State and one from Benue State – were  confirmed dead. Two females and a male and they were all from  the department of business education and management studies.”