Follow Us on Google
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has also condoled with Anthony Joshua over the recent accident involving his vehicle along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, resulting in death of two persons.
He also described the fire incident at the Balogun market which claimed many lives and destroyed property as devastating and called on the victims to bear the loss with equanimity.
Umahi while expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased attributed the accident to illegal parking of trucks along the Federal highway, expressing his ministry’s resolve to ensure strict compliance with the earlier directive that no vehicles especially trucks will be allowed to park on the highway.
Umahi disclosed that a special task force will be formed in February, 2026 involving officers of the Ministry with security agencies to ensure there is no illegal parking of trucks on the highway.
He described the accident as avoidable and maintained that his ministry is working with safer highway security agencies to ensure that no broken down vehicles are allowed on the highway and no individuals are allowed to use the highway to sun-dry their farm produce.
Umahi expressed sadness over the unfortunate fire incident at the Balogun market, Lagos which claimed some lives and property worth hundreds of millions lost.
He consoled with families who lost their loved ones and expressed optimism that the Federal Government and Lagos state government would come to their aid and ensure restoration.
Meanwhile, Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has expressed sympathy with world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, following a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of two of his close friends on Monday.
In a condolence message released yesterday, she 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. 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.”
Other News
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 has 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.
“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.
