Ogun: Needless Deaths on Ikangba/Agoro(Old Lagos-Benin) road
Needless Deaths on Ikangba/Agoro(Old Lagos-Benin) road
Gov. Dapo Abiodun should immediately construct speed breakers, provide lightings and road signs to avert further deaths
CDWR demands payment of compensation to the deceased families by government and urges residents to embark on mass actions to compel the state government to act without delay
The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) Ogun State Chapter for the umpteenth time wishes to call on the APC-led government of Prince Dapo Abiodun to save the lives of residents (in Obalende, Olorunsogo, Ikangba Housing. Ikangba Town, Agoro and Okun Owa communities) and other road users from the continuous, needless and avoidable deaths on the newly rehabilitated portions of Ikangba/Agoro (Old Lagos-Benin) road, by immediately constructing speed breakers, providing lightings and traffic signs. This is to limit and regulate vehicular speed and caution motorists against reckless driving. The Ikangba/Agoro road has become a death trap since the completion of rehabilitation works in February this year. Eight (8) people have lost their lives thus far, on the road as at the last count. Many have also sustained serious and life threatening injuries.
The CDWR views this as the consequence of a total lack of common humanity, empathy resulting from insensitivity and unresponsiveness of the Dapo Abiodun government to the plights and needs of ordinary people. No one knows who is next, as the mishap on the road continues. Residents and other road users plying the route, now do so with heightened fears for their own lives and that of their loved ones, especially school children who daily have to walk to and fro schools due to high costs of transportation. This palpable apprehension is largely due to the absence of and the inability of the government to provide measures to stem frequent avoidable accidents on the road, despite repeated calls and appeals.
The most recent deaths include Mr Demion Chukwu, a-70-year old man, who till his unfortunate and sad death resided in the Ikangba Housing estate. He died on June 2nd,2025, due to fatal accident involving himself on motorcycle and another motorcycle (Okada) that occurred on the previous day Sunday, June 1st,2025, The other victim, a boy, resident in Sagamu, whose identity couldn’t be ascertained had serious injuries, and was admitted at one of the hospitals in Ijebu Ode. However, unconfirmed sources had it that he died on 4th June, 2025! Recall also, that on the 25th May, 2025, Mosaku Aisha and Omobewaji Sanni, two female students of Seico Senior Secondary School, Ikangba Town, who were writing the ongoing WAEC SSCE examinations were crushed to death by a truck, which lost control and vied off the road! While Aisha Mosaku resided in Imosan town, Omobewaji Sanni resided at Apebi, in Ijebu Ode town.
Others who had lost their lives included Abiodun Oyedele(63yrs) male, popularly known as Oyeolorun, who resided in Ikangba Town, a carpenter and security guard in one of the numerous enterprises located along that route, who died in February; Abiodun Lawal(40yrs) male, a local hunter and motorcycle(Okada) rider, who plied Obalende/Ikangba/Agoro and Okun-Owa, he died in March due to serious injuries he sustained from an accident involving himself and an articulated vehicle; Niyi Ige (42yrs)male, a pig farmer and tricycle rider popularly know as Kurupe, who resided in Ijebu Ode, died from injuries in March,2025 from an accident involving himself and another vehicle; and Micheal Adewale(25yrs) male, who worked in a fish farm, and resided in Erewon community, died on the spot from accident involving two motorbikes and car on 26th April,2025!
The CDWR commiserates with the bereaved families and demands that the state government compensates them for their irreparable losses, and also offset the medical expenses of those who have had cause to seek medical intervention for injuries sustained in accidents on the same road.
The foregoing again underscores the need for the use of well equipped, remunerated and motivated public works department to undertake the execution of public projects, placed under the democratic control of the community where the projects are located as the CDWR has consistently advocated. This will ensure that the project meets the needs of the immediate beneficiaries, by ensuring that universal standards are strictly adhered to. In addition, this would also mitigate corruption which is associated with contract systems and make possible the judicious and accountable use of public resources. In other words, it will prevent a situation where sharks and rogue contractors motivated by super profits caring less about the effects of their executed road project on the safety of residents and other road users.
We therefore reiterate our April 29th call on Governor Dapo Abiodun to act expeditiously and construct speed breakers, provide lightings and traffic signs on the newly rehabilitated portions of the Ikangba/Agoro road to avert further loss of lives. We also urge people and groups of goodwill across Nigeria including civil society organizations and mass organizations like the NLC, TUC, NBA, NMA, NUT and others to call on the state government to do the needful. In the event that the government fails to act with alacrity in the face of the continued deaths, we call on the concerned residents with solidarity from the working people across Ijebu Ode to get organized immediately and embark on a series of mass actions to compel the government to construct speed breakers, lightings and road signs. For how long shall we fold our arms and watch the needless and preventable deaths of our loved ones in silence?
Eko John Nicholas
Coordinator CDWR. Ogun state chapter.
08022634850
Email [email protected]