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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has expressed sympathy with world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua following a fatal road accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two of his close friends on Monday.
In a condolence message released on Tuesday, the senator described the incident as “heart-wrenching and unacceptable,” saying it once again exposed the dangers on Nigerian highways caused by poor safety enforcement and weak emergency response systems.
“My heart goes out to Anthony Joshua at this very painful time,” Akpoti-Uduaghan said. “Losing two close friends in such a tragic manner is devastating. I pray that God grants him strength and comfort, and that the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.”
Beyond condolences, the lawmaker said the tragedy highlighted the urgent need for stronger national action on road safety, noting that many fatal crashes were preventable.
According to her, Nigerian highways had become “corridors of sorrow,” with lives lost daily due to lax enforcement of traffic regulations and delayed rescue efforts.
“This tragedy once again reminds us that road safety in Nigeria is not optional; it is a matter of life and death,” she stated.
The lawmaker called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to intensify enforcement of existing safety rules, stressing that weak compliance and poor monitoring had contributed significantly to road fatalities across the country.
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“Rules without enforcement are meaningless,” she said. “The Federal Road Safety Corps must be empowered and compelled to fully enforce road safety regulations across all highways in Nigeria, without fear or favour.”
She also urged the Federal Government to establish proper vehicle rest-in stations and lay-bys along major highways to reduce fatigue-related accidents, particularly among long-distance drivers.
“No driver should be forced to drive endlessly without a safe place to rest,” the senator said, adding, “Well-equipped vehicle rest stations must be deliberately created across our highways to reduce exhaustion-induced crashes.”
In addition, Akpoti-Uduaghan advocated the creation of a dedicated Highway Emergency Rescue Team equipped with ambulances, trauma care units and rapid-response personnel to attend to accident victims promptly.
“Many lives are lost not only because of accidents but because help does not arrive on time,” she said, adding that Nigeria urgently needed a rescue system capable of responding “within minutes, not hours.”
She concluded by urging policymakers to treat road safety as a national emergency, stressing that meaningful reforms would save thousands of lives annually.
“This tragedy should not be another headline we forget tomorrow. It must be a turning point for serious highway safety reforms in Nigeria,” the senator said, while reaffirming her commitment to advocating legislative and policy measures that prioritise the safety of Nigerians on the nation’s roads.
