By Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway, once a corridor of endless potholes and agonising delays, now stretches smooth and inviting, a testament to modern engineering. Constructed by China Harbour, the road has eased travel time and reduced the physical strain of long-distance journeys. But beneath its deceptive beauty lies a silent killer—recklessness, negligence, and the unchecked menace of poorly maintained vehicles.
For those who have travelled this road long enough, the transformation is striking. Yet, despite the improved infrastructure, the death toll continues to rise. Accidents that were once blamed on bad roads are now the result of human failure—drivers who ignore safety precautions, enforcement agencies that turn a blind eye, and a transport system that values profit over human lives.
I recall my late father, Chief Abel Mbanke Cizer, a seasoned truck driver, lamenting about the dangers of the old Akwanga Hill. It was a passage feared by travellers, a stretch notorious for daily accidents. His stories painted grim pictures of vehicles tumbling off the steep inclines, of lives lost in avoidable crashes. One would have thought that with a reconstructed road, such tragedies would be history. Sadly, they persist, albeit for different reasons.
Just days ago, along Wowcom in Nasarawa Eggon, tragedy struck again. Nine passengers lost their lives in a horrific crash that could have been prevented. Investigations revealed that the vehicle was already faulty, yet the driver, in a desperate bid to make money, took a deadly gamble. He was managing the fault—a phrase that has become a euphemism for playing Russian roulette with human lives.
This tragedy raises serious questions about the effectiveness of road safety enforcement in Nigeria. Who allowed that vehicle to leave the garage? Where were the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO)? Where were the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials who are supposed to ensure roadworthiness? Too often, these agencies focus solely on highway patrols, checking vehicle particulars, and extorting drivers, while ignoring the more critical issue—whether these vehicles should even be on the road in the first place.
A visit to many motor parks in Nasarawa, and indeed across the country, reveals an unsettling reality. Many of the vehicles loading passengers are ticking time bombs—bald tyres that have lost grip, failing brakes that respond only after a prayer, engines that overheat within minutes, and drivers who lack the basic discipline required for safe driving. Yet, these vehicles are allowed to operate, their flaws overlooked until disaster strikes.
“We do not have a strong system of pre-trip vehicle inspections in Nigeria,” says Dr Ahmed Abubakar, a transport safety analyst. “In developed countries, vehicles undergo regular, mandatory checks before they are cleared for commercial use. Here, it is left to the drivers’ discretion, and that is why we have so many preventable deaths.”
Indeed, there is little to no accountability. Drivers, eager to make quick money, push their vehicles to the limit. Transport companies rarely invest in proper maintenance, and when accidents occur, the cycle of negligence continues. The victims are often the innocent—passengers who trusted that they were in safe hands, only to end up as statistics in yet another preventable road disaster.
What needs to change? The first step is a shift in focus by the relevant authorities. Road safety is not just about highway checkpoints and issuing fines. It begins at the garages. The VIO and FRSC must collaborate with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to establish a strict pre-departure inspection system. No vehicle should be allowed to leave a motor park without a comprehensive safety check.
Transport companies must also be held accountable. Licensing should not just be about paperwork—it should be about compliance with safety standards. Companies whose vehicles repeatedly fail safety tests should face penalties, including suspension of operations.
Equally important is driver education. Many of the crashes recorded on this highway are due to reckless driving—excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking, and complete disregard for traffic rules. A driver’s licence should not be a mere formality; it should be earned through rigorous training and periodic refresher courses.
Passengers also have a role to play. It is time for the travelling public to demand better. Boarding a vehicle should not be a blind act of trust. Passengers must insist on safety, refuse to enter vehicles that appear unfit, and report reckless drivers when necessary.
Technology can also be a game-changer. In many parts of the world, GPS tracking and speed-monitoring devices have been introduced in commercial transport to regulate speed and driving behaviour. If Nigerian transport operators adopt similar measures, it could drastically reduce road accidents.
But beyond all these, there is a moral question that lingers. Why is human life treated with such carelessness? How do we, as a society, normalise the daily loss of lives as though they were mere numbers on a chart? Every accident victim was someone’s child, sibling, or parent. Each death leaves behind an irreversible wound, a void that can never be filled.
We must begin to treat road safety with the urgency it deserves. It is not enough to build good roads; we must ensure that the vehicles and the drivers using them meet the highest safety standards. If the authorities do not act, the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway will continue to be what it is today—a beautifully paved, blood-soaked road to the grave.
The time for change is now. Because while death is inevitable, reckless deaths are not.