By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

An accident on Sunday night along the Asaba-Illah road in Delta state has claimed the lives of a pregnant woman and 16 others on Sunday night. It was gathered that the victims allegedly perished on the road known to be littered with deep potholes, as they travelled to Abuja. Their vehicle was said to have plunged into one of the deep potholes in an attempt to escape an uncovered pit in the centre of the road.

An eye witness, Jeremiah Kennedy, said the vehicle with registration number AA 261 XX somersaulted several times before it crashed into the pothole.

Investigation revealed that residents of Ugbolu, Illah communities under Oshimili North local government area of the state had, for long, been faced with precarious challenges in the deplorable conditions of the road, a situation that had turned death trap for the motorists, and had also increased the transport fare.

The road, further investigation revealed, had had deep potholes more often filled with water including broken bottle as motorists find it difficult to ply even with the help of “area boys” who eke a living through the means whenever their vehicles break down but most times motorists are assisted by the “area boys” with fixed charges of N300 and N400.

The Asaba-Illah-Ebu-Ugbolu road, a federal road, had been neglected over the years for inexplicable reasons and had claimed several lives, especially during night fall when unsuspecting motorists ply it.

A cross section of the residents of the areas who spoke to our reporter, one of them, John Anosike said; “There is need for urgent government intervention to alleviate the suffering of the road users, and save them from robbery attacks by bandits who waylay them at the deplorable spots, the stretch between Ugbolu, Illah has so many farm settlements, including the Benin–Owina River Basin Authority in Ngegu Illah, at present drivers plying the route charge N300.00, and sometimes charge N400.00”

But an official of Federal Ministry of Works told our reporter that “No fund has been approved for the repairs of the road, hence the road gets worsened and is now a death trap. As soon as money is approved, we will commence work on the road”.

Sources said transporters going to Illah/Ebu would prefer to go through Asaba-Benin Expressway via Otulu Junction by Akwukwu-Igbo to Illah; a journey of about one hour.

The sources added that the pregnant woman, and the sixteen persons who died were taken to the FMC Asaba mortuary, adding that if urgent steps are not taken, more lives may be perished on the road.

https://orientdailynews.com.ng/news/pregnant-woman-others-killed-asaba/



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