The situation is made worse in some cases where the construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of some of these roads are stalled due to disputes over costs between government and contractors.
From Cross River to Niger and Oyo states, Nigeria’s federal highways continue to record alarming fatalities due to dilapidation and neglect.
The Itu-Calabar, Bida-Lapai-Agaie, and Minna-Suleja roads are among notorious death traps where tanker explosions and crashes have claimed hundreds of lives recently.
In Rivers State alone, FRSC reported 180 deaths in 2023, while Niger State witnessed over 100 fatalities in just one month this year.
Lawmakers and traditional rulers are demanding urgent action as stalled projects and contractor disputes worsen the crisis. “These roads are famished for blood,” lamented a source, echoing Ben Okri’s metaphor.
Cross River’s eight federal roads, with six in disrepair, typify the national emergency.
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