Hundreds of members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Kwara State on Wednesday staged a protest against the removal of speed breakers along the Oko-Olowo section of the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway.
The protesters, joined by local residents, decried the recent removal of the safety bumps by a federal contractor handling rehabilitation works on the highway, warning that the development has led to a resurgence in fatal road crashes.
Carrying placards with messages such as “Stop killing us in Oko-Olowo,” “Reinstall speed breakers now,” and “Our lives matter,” the demonstrators demanded the immediate restoration of the barriers.
RTEAN Chairman in the state, Alhaji Abdulrahman Onikijipa, who led the protest alongside his NURTW counterpart, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Ariwoola, said the speed breakers had drastically reduced accidents before their removal.
“These were lifesaving structures installed after repeated meetings with the Kwara State government. Though the road is federal, the state stepped in to prevent further bloodshed. We cannot fold our arms and watch our members and commuters die,” Onikijipa said.
He accused the federal contractor of removing the bumps without consulting the public or providing any alternative safety measures and called on the federal government to act swiftly, warning that transport unions would be forced to escalate their agitation.
Ariwoola, represented by NURTW State Secretary Mr. Aliyu Rasheed, added that the unions would continue peaceful protests if their concerns were not addressed. He called for the construction of overhead bridges and pedestrian walkways as long-term solutions.
“We have recorded avoidable deaths. The speed breakers were working. Their removal without replacements is reckless. We’re appealing to the federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene,” Ariwoola stated.
The unions stressed that while they remain law-abiding, they would not hesitate to sustain pressure until action is taken to safeguard lives on the busy expressway.
