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By Lateef Dada, Osogbo
For the residents of Iwo and Otan-Ayegbaju, every journey across their local bridges now feels like a high-stakes gamble.
Across these two bustling hubs in Osun State, severe erosion and torrential downpours have turned vital arterial routes into terrifying death traps, threatening lives, isolating communities, and placing mounting pressure on commuters and local leaders alike.
In Iwo local government area, the scars of recent extreme weather are starkly visible at Kuti, beside a local filling station in Iwo.
Just a year after its construction, a newly built bridge has been violently undercut and washed away by relentless floodwaters.
Today, the concrete passage stands fractured, forcing vehicles to halt completely while daring motorcyclists squeeze precariously through narrow strips of surviving asphalt.
According to local accounts, the destruction has triggered a daily crisis. Recounting, a resident,who identified himself simply as Rasheed, said: “We have counted more than 20 motorcyclists that have plunged into the pit.
“They run into it almost every day. It is unfortunate that a prominent politician whose house the road leads to came to inspect it over a month ago, yet nothing has been done. We are appealing to the ministry of works to urgently intervene before this takes more lives.”
Tope, a local commercial motorcyclist, admits to a knot in his stomach every time his route brings him near the chasm. “I’m always in fear whenever I’m passing the area because it is evident that the remaining part is a death trap,” he said.
Nearby observers point fingers at the construction standards, questioning how a newly engineered bridge could crumble so swiftly while older legacy structures nearby stubbornly weather the elements.
The crisis, however, is not isolated to Iwo. Further northeast in Boluwaduro local government area, a strikingly similar drama is unfolding along the crucial corridor connecting Otan-Ayegbaju to Ila-Orangun, an essential transit route that links Osun State directly to interstate corridors heading toward Kogi, Benue, and Abuja.
Prolonged, torrential rains have hollowed out critical sections of the highway, leaving devastating washouts at three vulnerable flashpoints: Oke-Ola, where bridge foundations are caving in from beneath; Popogbooro; and Akerekete, a bottleneck so severely degraded that two vehicles can no longer pass abreast.
“If this section gives way completely, transit between Ila-Orangun and Osogbo will come to a total halt,” warned community leader, Amos Sasona.
He said: “Our main fear is for drivers who are unfamiliar with the terrain, especially at night, as they could easily plunge into the ditch.”
The alarm has reached the highest echelons of traditional and community leadership. The Owa of Otan-Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Adesola Ojo-Fadipe, alongside transport union chiefs and community stakeholders, including Dauda Oyeniyi, Commercial Motorcycle Riders Union chairman, Azeez Fabunmi, and Aare Adetunji Mosebolatan, President of the Otan-Ayegbaju Progressive Union (OAPU), have added their voices to a unified distress call directed at Governor Ademola Adeleke.
While noting that local self-help initiatives have historically kept internal community paths functional, the scale of destruction on this interstate artery far exceeds grassroots capacity.
“Vehicle movement is becoming increasingly difficult,” Oba Ojo-Fadipe lamented.
He said: “I am pleading on behalf of the people of Otan-Ayegbaju and the motorists using this road that Gov. Adeleke should rescue it before it collapses entirely. We need the government to act now to prevent preventable loss of lives.”
Addressing the mounting public outcry, the Osun State Government has offered reassurance. Engr. Moruf Ojebode of the state ministry of works confirmed that the administration is fully cognizant of the plight facing both communities, noting that emergency safety measures, including temporary road closures, have already been implemented by ministry personnel.
“I went to Iwo personally after the rainstorm that damaged the culvert, and the ministry blocked the road to traffic. The same applies to the route between Otan-Ayegbaju and Ila-Orangun,” Ojebode stated.
According to the ministry, detailed engineering measurements and evaluations (BEME) have been compiled for both locations and are currently moving through administrative channels.
“As a matter of fact, we have raised a bill of engineering measurements and evaluation on the two roads and it is awaiting the governor’s approval,” Ojebode assured.
He said: “As soon as Mr. Governor approves it and the release of the fund is made, a resolution will be brought to those two culverts. I can assure you of that.”
Meanwhile, The Osun Masterminds (TOM), has argued that the narrative of infrastructural progress propagated by government image-makers stands in stark contrast to the grim reality faced daily by commuters, motorists, and business owners.
The executive director of TOM, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, called on the government to declare a state of emergency on the roads, saying: “Palliative measures must move beyond cosmetic stone-filling to durable, comprehensive engineering solutions that can withstand the elements and serve our people sustainably.”
The group also lamented that some critical areas, particularly in Osogbo, the state capital, have become emblematic of infrastructural abandonment.
Osogbo, as the capital city, is the mirror through which the state’s administrative competence is judged. Yet, the current state of many internal arterial roads is nothing short of an eyesore. Citizens are subjected to avoidable agony, vehicular damage, and lost economic hours due to the terrible state of our major roads.
“We must specifically draw attention to the following critical corridors that have become emblematic of infrastructural abandonment.”
The group lamented that drainage overflows, erosion, and neglected maintenance have reduced major portions of commercial artery to super potholes, frustrating road users.
