CSO decries Ekiti-Kogi-Lokoja-Abuja highway, urges intervention

A civil society coalition in Osun State, The Osun Masterminds (TOM), has lamented the catastrophic condition of major federal highways across the country, specifically highlighting the Ekiti-Kogi-Lokoja-Abuja and Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Egbe corridors, and demanded aggressive intervention from the Federal Ministry of Works.

Speaking during its monthly state of the nation address in Osogbo, at the weekend, the Executive Director of TOM, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, also decried the poor state of internal roads in Osogbo, noting that key corridors have become emblematic of infrastructural abandonment.

The coalition urged the Osun State Government to immediately declare a state of emergency on Osogbo township roads.

“Palliative measures must move beyond cosmetic stone-filling to durable, comprehensive engineering solutions that can withstand the elements and serve our people sustainably,” the group noted.

The coalition expressed deep concern over the alarming resurgence of violent crimes, particularly a chilling spike in kidnapping-for-ransom along major interstate transit routes.

It called on the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, the Nigerian Army, and local security frameworks to deploy coordinated, intelligence-led joint task forces along high-risk corridors ahead of the peak yuletide exodus.

The group also condemned the recent attack on the presidential candidate of the African Action Council (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in Ado-Ekiti.

It challenged security agencies to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

The coalition described the attack as an absolute national disgrace, stating: “This brazen act of thuggery is not just an attack on Omoyele Sowore as an individual; it is a direct assault on the fundamental rights of all Nigerians to political participation, free speech, and alternative choice.

“When security apparatuses and law enforcement agencies trivialize such high-profile acts of violence, dismissing life-threatening injuries as ‘minor’ or engaging in administrative denials, they surrender their neutrality and embolden the forces of tyranny.”

TOM called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant statutory bodies to rise above partisan politics and uphold the rule of law.

Warning ahead of the 2027 general elections, the group emphasized that Nigeria cannot conduct a credible, free, and fair election if state-sponsored or tolerated thuggery dictates who can campaign safely.

They demanded that the perpetrators of the October 30 attack in Ekiti be brought to open justice immediately.

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