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Commuters Stranded As Protesters Block Auchi-Benin Highway Over Deplorable Condition [PHOTOS]

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…Vow To Occupy The Road Until Something Is Done

Travellers on the ever busy Benin-Auchi highway were on Monday stranded for hours as protesters in their numbers blocked the expressway over deplorable condition of the Ekpoma axis of the road.

The protesters who vowed to occupy the road until works on the road commences, stressed that only palliatives can no longer fix the road but a complete reworking.

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Due to protest and consequent blockade, trailers and other heavy duty vehicles had to park which led to on a long queue from the Ujoelen axis of the highway where the protesters gathered, up to Ambrose Alli University main gate and beyond, towards Benin and the same thing applies to the stretch towards Auchi where the queue extended beyond the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.

It was gathered that the protest led by Esan Liberation Movement and the Concerned Ekpoma Eminent Stakeholders Forum, was aimed at drawing attention of the government to the deplorable condition of the road.

Speaking, the Convener, Esan Liberation Movement, Hon. Prosper Iyere, stressed the need for the government as well as all the stakeholders concerned to, as a matter of urgency, do the needful in ensuring that the failed portions of the Edo central axis of the highway were fixed.

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READ ALSO: Edo: Commuters Stranded As Spare Parts Dealers Protest Deplorable Condition Of Road

According to him, several letters have been written to the state government and other stakeholders but to no avail.

“We have written to the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the Senator representing Edo Central at the National Assembly, Senator Clifford Ordia, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, the two members of Edo central at the National Assembly, Hon. Joe Edionwele, and Hon. Sergius Ogun, as well as the Minister for Environment, Hon. Clem Agba, to formally inform them of the deplorable condition of the Ekpoma axis of the Benin/Auchi highway, but no response,” he lamented.

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On his part, Dr. Jude Obasanmi, the Convener, Concerned Ekpoma Eminent Stakeholders Forum, CEESF, was moved to tears as he explained the harrowing experience that the people of Ekpoma pass through on a daily basis, as a result of the failed portions of the highway.

He narrated the story of a woman who fell off a bike and got her leg broken, just as he rhetorically asked “… how long are we going to continue like this?”

It was gathered that the contract for the reconstruction and expansion of Edo central axis of the Benin-Auchi highway was awarded to Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, but the work has been on slow pace and this has been a major concern to the people of Edo central in particular and those that ply the highway in general.

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Truck Crushes Man Rushing For Jumu’ah Prayers In Rivers

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A trailer loaded with goods has crushed a Muslim faithful rushing for Friday prayers to death in Port Harcourt.

According to Vanguard, the tragic incident happened on the ever-busy Nkpolu junction axis of the East-West road, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, around 2:05 pm.

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It was gathered that the victim was crossing the busy road when a black SUV on speed knocked him down and that the truck, which was on high speed, crushed him to death.

READ ALSO:US Struck Iran With B-2 Bombers, Submarine-launched Missiles – Top US General

A source, who witnessed the incident, narrated that the young man was behind some of his Muslim brothers, who were also going for the Friday prayers, when the incident happened.

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The source, who gave his name simply as Tunde, said the other worshipers had crossed, but that the victim, who did not observe the traffic very well before entering the road, was knocked down by the vehicle.

READ ALSO:Rivers Staff, Pensioners Audit Sparks Outrage

The source said that when the SUV brought him down, a trailer that was on the speed lane ran over him, dismembering the body beyond recognition.

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However, the Muslim faithful who were with him took over the highway in protest until police operatives arrived at the scene.

Meanwhile, the police restored normalcy while the protesting Muslims took the remains for burial.

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Three Killed As Suspected Bandits Ambush Motorists In Kwara

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Gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits have allegedly launched a deadly attack on motorists along the Rore and Aranorin communities in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, leaving at least three people dead.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday, threw residents and travellers into a state of panic as news of the killings spread across the area.

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In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the victims were seen lying lifeless on the roadside, their bodies partially covered with clothing and leaves by sympathisers who arrived at the scene after the attackers had fled.

Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that the armed men, believed to be operating from hideouts in nearby forests, opened fire on the unsuspecting motorists in what appeared to be a coordinated ambush.

READ ALSO:INEC Fixes Voter Registration Resumption Dates For Anambra Election, Nationwide

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It remains unclear whether the attackers also abducted any victims during the assault, as details were still emerging as of Friday morning.

The attack is the latest in a growing wave of violence that has gripped Kwara State’s Ifelodun and Irepodun local government areas in recent months.

Communities such as Babanla, Shegbe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Oreke in Ifelodun Local Government have faced repeated attacks, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their ancestral homes.

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Many victims have been kidnapped for ransom, while others have been killed in similar raids.

READ ALSO:27 Feared Dead In Kwara Boat Mishap

Residents expressed fears that the violence could escalate further unless urgent security measures are taken.

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Some community leaders have called on both the state and federal governments to deploy more security personnel to the affected areas, noting that many villages have been left vulnerable as attacks continue unabated.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the incident.

However, sources indicate that security operatives have been mobilised to the area to prevent further violence and reassure residents.

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READ ALSO:Why Portable Was Remanded In Kwara Prison Revealed

On August 24, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that hours after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited Babanla community in Ifelodun Local Government Area to reassure residents of improved security, suspected bandits abducted two people in the area.

The governor visited the area to reassure residents and restore a sense of security amid ongoing fears of banditry and kidnappings.

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However, the criminals struck soon after his departure, highlighting the persistent threat and heightening tension in the community.

The incident reportedly threw residents into fresh panic despite earlier promises of tighter security measures.

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Suspected Amasiri Warriors Invade Ebonyi Community, Behead Farmer Amid Land Dispute

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Tragedy struck on Tuesday, August 26, at Okporojo Idima, Oso Edda in the Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as armed warriors from neighbouring Amasiri community reportedly invaded the farmland of one Mr. Dike Nnachi, beheaded him, and took his head away as a trophy.

The attack marks a continuation of violent hostilities in the area, coming barely four months after the April invasion in which at least four people, including a pregnant woman and her 12-year-old son, were brutally killed.

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That incident also left property worth millions of naira destroyed.

Residents told reporters that the latest killing has deepened fears across Oso Edda, as locals now question the effectiveness of the state government’s ongoing peace efforts.

READ ALSO:Two Die As Mining Pit Collapses In Ebonyi

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The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, had, through the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, initiated dialogue between warring communities to stem the tide of violence.

However, Tuesday’s bloodshed is seen as a direct challenge to those peace moves.

Community leaders have called for urgent intervention, warning that unless decisive action is taken, the violence could escalate further, leaving more lives and property in jeopardy.

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In April, renewed violence broke out over a longstanding land dispute between Ndukwe community in Amasiri, Afikpo Local Government Area, and Okporojo in Edda Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO:Radio Station Suspends GM For Criticising Ebonyi Gov

The hostilities left houses and properties worth millions of naira destroyed, as attackers, reportedly from Amasiri, launched assaults on Okporojo.

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The worsening security situation forced many residents of Edda to abandon the Amasiri road, opting instead to travel through Afikpo town due to fear of further attacks.

Although previous administrations attempted to resolve the crisis, including the release of a white paper based on a government committee’s recommendations, implementation has reportedly stalled, allowing the conflict to fester and violence to recur.

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