There was outrage in Ogun State on Thursday as members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association, Ajebo Mechanic Village, took to the streets to protest the killing of three of their colleagues by a truck driver.
The victims were reportedly crushed to death on Wednesday evening around Kemta, Abeokuta, while riding home on a motorcycle after closing from work.
Angered by the incident, the aggrieved technicians blocked the newly constructed Ajebo/OGTV expressway, vowing to prevent truck drivers from using the road until concrete measures are put in place to end what they described as the reckless and avoidable loss of lives.
The protesters lamented that no fewer than five people had been killed on the same road between December 2024 and the first week of February 2025, allegedly due to the recklessness of truck drivers.
Speaking with The PUNCH, the Chairman of NATA’s Ajebo Mechanic Village unit, Comrade Saheed Arulogun, decried the frequent road crashes involving truck drivers, accusing them of endangering other road users.
Arulogun said, “We are out today to express our sadness and frustration over these truck drivers who have continued to cause avoidable deaths on this Ajebo/OGTV road.
“Last night, at about 6:30 pm, one of the truck drivers ran over three of our members who had just closed from work and were on a motorcycle heading home. The accident happened around Kemta, and that was the end of these precious lives.
“On December 27, one of these truck drivers killed a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre, and in January, another person was killed. We are tired of these senseless killings. These are human beings, breadwinners in their homes, and this must not continue.”
Arulogun accused truck drivers of flouting traffic rules with impunity, saying, “They drive as if they are above the law. They park recklessly in the middle of the road, creating unnecessary obstructions.”
He further alleged that drug abuse among truck drivers was a major factor contributing to their recklessness.
“Many of them are under the influence of drugs, which is why they behave irresponsibly on the road. They have no regard for safety and do not care about other road users.
“The government must not allow them to continue plunging people into unimaginable sorrow. The authorities must wield the big stick against any driver found culpable,” he added.
To curb the rising fatalities, Arulogun urged the state government to restrict truck movements to nighttime, as was done during the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
He also called for an urgent meeting between government officials, the technicians, and truck owners to find a lasting solution to the incessant loss of lives.
Echoing Arulogun’s sentiments, Chairman of Motor Spare Parts and Engine Oil Sellers in the Mechanic Village, Comrade Rabiu Nurudeen, pleaded with Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene.
“We are all tired of these terrible killings of our people by truck drivers. The truth is that they are reckless, they intimidate other road users, and they act like they are above the law,” Nurudeen said.
He also urged the government to repair the bad portion of the road around Kemta, which he said could be a contributing factor to the accidents.
The protesters insisted they would not back down until concrete action is taken to prevent further tragedies.
