Stranded travellers on highway robbed

Suspected armed robbers have reportedly attacked several travellers stranded on the Benin-Akure highway and the Ipele/Idoani/Isua/Kabba highway both in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.

It was gathered from most of the travellers, who were reportedly robbed of their valuables, the robbers escaped on motorcycle through the bush paths.

The chairman of Ose council, Dennis Adekunle, who confirmed the robbery attack, said he had written to the Ondo State government for urgent repair work on the road.

According to Adekunle, “The quarry he approached for help declined because the Federal Road Maintenance Agency might sue it for interference.”

The chairman said bandits have robbed many of the stranded travellers on the highway.

Vanguard gathered that the continuous heavy rains have destroyed a section of the Benin-Akure highway at Molege/Elegbeka/Ifon axis and the Ipele/Idoani/Isua/Kabba highway.

Motorists complained that they spend days at the failed portion of the road.

Some motorists noted that they spent over five hours from Ifon to Ipele junction, a journey that was supposed to last 45 minutes.

They said the road has totally become impassable for motorists. 

It was gathered that five heavy duty trucks fell at several failed portions.

Adekunle said he spent four hours travelling from Idoani to Ipele junction after navigating through bush paths to access the situation.

He noted that further destruction of the highway, would cut off the localities from the rest of the country now that farmers were approaching period of harvest.

Also, the lawmaker representing Ose Constituency, Olatunji Oshatti, raised the alarm over the poor condition of the road and called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to it.