FERMA unveils initiative to curb road crashes in Kogi

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency launched a special intervention, codenamed “Operation Safeguard the Roads”, on Tuesday, aimed at reducing road traffic crashes in Kogi State.

The programme was inaugurated by Mr Muktar Abdulrahim, the Federal Road Maintenance Engineer in the state, at Ochadamu, along the Itobe–Anyigba Road.

Abdulrahim explained that the initiative seeks to enhance the efficiency of federal roads for motorists while providing opportunities for youths along the road corridors.

“The programme is designed to discourage road vandalism and abuses, such as dumping refuse on drainages and road sides, unauthorised cutting of roads, and theft of critical facilities like bridge handrails and road signs,” he said.

He added that the programme aims to improve road safety, reduce travel time and costs, and provide temporary employment opportunities for youths in communities along major federal roads.

“This initiative will also foster a sense of ownership of the roads by local communities, ensuring they are properly safeguarded,” Abdulrahim noted.

He further highlighted that the programme would include controlling vegetation along the roads to enhance visibility, reduce road crashes, and desilt lined drains and culverts to prevent flooding and lower maintenance costs.

Minor repairs, including patching potholes and reinstating collapsed sections, will be carried out to enable free flow of traffic. We shall also conduct training on road maintenance operations for residents of communities along major roads,” he said.

Abdulrahim expressed gratitude to FERMA Managing Director, Dr Chukwu Emeka-Agbasi, for initiating the programme.

In brief remarks, Mr Awodun Daniel, FERMA’s Zonal Director, North-Central 1, emphasised that the programme would make the roads safer, particularly with the Yuletide season approaching.

The event was attended by the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, traditional rulers, and members of the public.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agency’s Managing Director formally inaugurated the programme along the Zuba–Giri–Abaji–Lokoja Road on September 27

reports that on September 5, 2025, a survivor recounted a dramatic crash involving a car veering off the road and somersaulting, though specific casualty numbers were not detailed. On August 14, 2025,one person died and five others were injured in a lone vehicle crash along Lokoja–Obajana–Kabba Road due to excessive speed, causing loss of control and somersault.

On May 25, 2025,nineteen people including five children, died, and eight others were injured in a head-on collision on Lokoja–Obajana Road involving a Toyota Hummer bus and an articulated truck, caused by speeding and wrongful overtaking. On April 21, 2025,six people died, five were injured in a multiple-vehicle crash at Okene Local Government Area when a truck lost its brakes and rolled backwards, crushing other vehicles.

On February 16, 2025, seven people, including four students from Federal University Lokoja, died in an auto crash at Felele on the Okene–Lokoja–Abuja Road after a truck carrying timber lost its brakes and collided with a shuttle bus carrying the students.

These incidents highlight the recurring issues of brake failure, speeding, and wrongful overtaking contributing to fatal crashes in Kogi State in 2025. Each report includes the involvement of multiple vehicles and sometimes the tragic loss of lives, including vulnerable groups like university students and children.

(NAN)