For students and residents of Modibbo Adama University (MAU), Yola, the road through Sangere has become more than a route to lectures, homes and businesses. It has become a source of fear.

Repeated crashes involving speeding trucks and other vehicles have claimed lives in recent months, prompting residents and students to demand urgent safety measures, particularly the installation of speed bumps along the university axis.

The demand came during a peaceful demonstration yesterday, which briefly turned tense after university security officials attempted to disperse the protesters and allegedly detained one of the participants.

The protest followed a crash last Friday that reportedly killed three students and two residents in Sangere, further fuelling anger over what demonstrators described as recurring road tragedies.

Leonard Lawrence, a resident of the area, said the community had recorded about five serious crashes in the past few months. He estimated that at least 10 students had died in road accidents in the area this year.

According to him, speeding trucks and other reckless drivers were largely responsible for the crashes, especially along the stretch of road where there are no effective traffic-calming measures.

Lawrence said the demonstration was organised to draw the attention of government authorities and the university management to the worsening situation.

He alleged that residents initially organised the protest but that the university management attempted to take control of it by warning students against participating.

A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said students had been warned that participating in the protest could cost them their admission.

The university management, in a circular on its WhatsApp platform on Sunday, however, distanced itself from the crashes.

The circular stated that the accidents were “by no means caused by the action or inaction of the university,” while stressing that protests by students, regardless of their reasons, must be approved by the management and relevant security agencies.

Tension rose during yesterday’s demonstration when university security personnel confronted protesters and allegedly attempted to force one of them, identified as Promise Bitrus, into a vehicle.

The move reportedly sparked resistance from other demonstrators, who gathered around Bitrus.

Bitrus accused the university management and its chief security officer of intimidation, alleging that they were attempting to stop students from exercising their right to protest.

He appealed to the government to intervene over the condition of the road and what he described as threats to his academic future.

“School management and the chief security officer are intimidating and threatening me because they want to cancel the protest, which is our right. They kept asking me if I wanted to finish school and why I was sacrificing my life for people who are dead,” he said.

Residents said police officers who arrived at the scene did not attempt to suppress the demonstration but instead assured protesters that they were there to protect them.

Beyond the crashes, residents also raised concerns about insecurity in the area, alleging that armed robbers had repeatedly attacked people in their homes.

They said residents had resorted to taking turns to patrol the area at night because of what they described as inadequate security.

The protesters called on both the Adamawa State and Federal Governments to urgently address the condition and safety of the road and protect students and residents who use it daily.

They demanded the installation of speed bumps and other traffic-calming measures, as well as stricter controls on the movement of heavy-duty trucks along the road.

The protesters warned that if no concrete action was taken within seven days, they would return with a larger demonstration.