The Federal Government has reawarded the rehabilitation of the Gombe-Dukku-Darazo road linking parts of Bauchi and Gombe states, after a WikkiTimes investigations exposed how more than N3.22 billion had been spent on interventions on the corridor while motorists and communities continued to grapple with potholes and accidents.
The latest intervention through the North East Development Commission (NEDC) covers the route from Darazo in Bauchi State through Dukku to Bojude in Gombe State.
The project documents were handed over to Tamusa Construction Company on Wednesday, in Darazo, with the NEDC saying the rehabilitation was aimed at addressing the worsening condition of the route.
NEDC Gombe State Project Coordinator, Architect Usman Muhammad, said the project was designed to address the deteriorated condition of the road and improve infrastructure and living conditions across the North-East.
The re-award follows two WikkiTimes investigations published in May and August 2026, which documented the human and economic toll of the 72-kilometre road and traced billions of naira in government payments to 21 companies and two individuals between 2018 and 2025.
The investigations found that the route had remained riddled with potholes, washouts, erosion and collapsed sections despite repeated emergency repairs, embankment reconstruction and other interventions.
The first investigation documented the human cost of the failing highway, with residents recalling fatal crashes, difficulties accessing healthcare, water and markets, while farmers suffered losses from delayed transportation. Commercial drivers told WikkiTimes that journeys that once took 30 to 45 minutes could stretch into hours.
The second report traced N3.22 billion paid to 23 beneficiaries for interventions ranging from emergency repairs and washout recovery to failed carriageway rehabilitation, drainage works and engineering design.
The Federal Ministry of Works also acknowledged that some contractors abandoned projects after completing and receiving payment for certified stages. In one case, the ministry warned Multigate Corporate Development Limited that it had abandoned a N491.45 million contract and left the work at an early stage after demobilising from the site. The ministry further acknowledged that some completed sections had deteriorated shortly after execution.
Speaking during the handing over of the documents, the NEDC project coordinator urged the new contracting firm, Tamusa Construction Company, to deliver quality work within the stipulated timeframe, stressing that the route was important to Bauchi, Gombe and the wider North-East region.
The company’s managing director, Engineer Abubakar Bappah, pledged to execute the project to the required standard, while project consultant Engineer Shuaibu Abubakar said the work should be completed within one year.
