“Save Our Souls”: Suntai–Bali Road on Brink of Collapse at Zagah, Residents Cry for Urgent Intervention
August 26, 2026
Residents and motorists using the Suntai–Bali road in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State have renewed calls for urgent government intervention as a section of the road at Zagah village edges dangerously close to complete collapse.
The situation at Zagah has become a source of growing anxiety among communities and road users, with erosion eating deep into the roadway and leaving motorists with an increasingly dangerous passage.
For residents, the appeal is no longer merely for the rehabilitation of a bad road. It is becoming a cry to prevent a possible tragedy and save an important transportation lifeline from being completely severed.
“Save our souls. Save this road before something terrible happens,” is the message being echoed by concerned residents and motorists as the rainy season continues to threaten the remaining section.
Reports about the deteriorating condition of the road are not new.
Earlier in August, residents raised alarm over the same section at Zagah, saying erosion had been eating away the road for about two years and warning that it was approaching the point of total collapse.
The road serves communities around Zagah and Suntai and forms part of an important route connecting Bali with communities towards Takum and other parts of southern Taraba.
Its importance goes beyond the movement of vehicles.
Farmers depend on the route to transport agricultural produce to markets, while traders, students, workers and families regularly travel through the axis. A complete cut-off could therefore disrupt economic and social activities for communities that rely on the road.
Of greater concern is the threat to human life.
As erosion continues to undermine the road, motorists navigating the affected section face an increasingly hazardous journey, particularly during rainfall and at night when visibility is poor.
Pictures and accounts circulating from the area show the seriousness of the deterioration and have renewed questions about how long the road can withstand further rainfall without giving way completely.
Residents are consequently appealing to the Taraba State Government and relevant road authorities to treat the situation as an emergency rather than wait until the road is completely severed.
They want immediate measures to secure the affected section, control the erosion and provide a permanent engineering solution capable of protecting the road from further damage.
For communities along the route, intervention now could be far less costly than rebuilding after a complete collapse — and, more importantly, could prevent the loss of lives.
The message from Zagah is therefore urgent:
Do not wait for lives to be lost before action is taken.
Do not wait for Suntai and neighbouring communities to be cut off before bringing intervention.
The Suntai–Bali road at Zagah is crying for attention, and residents are asking the authorities to act while there is still something left to save.
