Kugbo-Mararaba Expressway is a death trap at night

A cross-section of Nigerians residing in the FCT and Nasarawa State have stressed the need to make the street lights along the Kugbo-Mararaba Expressway functional.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, some motorists described driving on the road as a nightmare due to the absence of street lights.

They noted that the topography of the road was dangerous in itself, because of the slopes and curves, adding that not lighting the road at night,
made it a death trap.

Kugbo-Mararaba road is located immediately after the Abacha barracks bridge.

Mr Gidado Usman, a civil servant, said driving along that road at night was “very dangerous’’.

According to him, the absence of street lights is a major cause of car crashes on that route, as many drivers who are not used to the road end up having accidents.

“The road slopes up and down, which is enough risk, on top of that, the lights are not functional.

“As a driver, I have to use mere calculation and God’s grace to get to my destination safely; it is really difficult driving on that road without light.

“Let the government please pity us and expand the road to ease traffic too.’’

Usman also cautioned drivers to drive with extra care and caution on that road.

Similarly, Mr Olumuyiwa Olushola, who resides in Karu, told NAN that for him, driving on that road at night was “mission impossible’’.
Olushola, who is married with two kids, said that any day he stayed late in town, he would ask his wife’s permission to spend the night in town.

“It is better for me to be alive and face the challenges of life, than driving myself to death by using that road at night.’’

He also urged the government to address the traffic situation on that route.
Also, Mrs Lilian Okafor, who resides at Mararaba and drives herself on that road at night, described the situation as “terrible’’.

“When coming back from work at night, driving on that Kugbo road without light is terrible because I barely manage to get home safe.

“When people on the opposite direction flash their head lights, I won’t be able to see anything again.

“Once you descend from Abacha Barracks down to Nyanya at night, you just use your head and not your eyes to drive, to enable you to arrive safe and this causes lots of car accidents along that road.

“When we come out in the morning, sometimes we see multiple accidents; if they can fix the street lights, lots of lives will be saved on this axis,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, Miss Patience Ufene, an entrepreneur who lives at Jikwoyi, said though she uses public transport, she is never at peace plying that route.

According to her, the road is a “danger zone during the day time because of its nature, not to talk of at night without lights.

“I am always scared when coming back home at night; my heart is always in my mouth once the driver descends the Abacha Barracks bridge, until I drop off at my bus stop.’’

Ufene appealed to the FCT Minister to consider the plight of the road users and instal sustainable street lights, to reduce road crashes, adding that countless lives had perished on that road.

She also called for the expansion of the road and the creation of alternative routes to ease movement, adding that a journey of 10 to 15 minutes could take up to one hour because of traffic.