Commuters, Traders Groan As Two FG Highways To Benue Collapse

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, August 6th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – IT has been tales of woes for commuters and motorists coming into Benue State from the southern parts of the country as the two major roads leading into the state have since become death traps due to their lingering poor state. The two major link roads – Makurdi-Aliade Otukpo and Makurdi-Naka-Otukpo – collapsed some months ago and have been left to fester like a big sore leading to unimaginable problem for users on a daily basis.

As the two roads remain in a deplorable shape, farmers, traders and visitors to the state have become the major losers economically and socially. While many avoid the roads as a result of their deplorable condition, those who dare to brave them, lose their goods and trucks to the gallops and big ditches along the roads. Mostly affected are trucks laden with fresh and perishable food crops which often get stuck in the bad portions or overturned while trying to meander through the deep gullies which now litter the roads.

As a result of the deplorable conditions of the roads traders not only lose their cash crops, but they also spend days on the roads trying to salvage their wares and in the process are exposed to armed robbers, kidnappers and other undesirable elements.

While many of the traders have been attacked and killed by gunmen, others have been taken hostage and only released upon payment of prescribed ransom.

Some of the commuters, who narrated their ordeal on the roads, lamented that lives and property worth millions of naira are being wasted daily as a result of their poor state and called for urgent action to end the nightmare. A tanker driver, Ado Yusuf, said he nearly lost his life on the road late last year when his truck tumbled near Howe Village on the Otukpo-Aliade stretch when he tried to avoid a deep gully only to end up in another gully.