Members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) at Ajebo Mechanic Village in Ogun State staged a protest on Thursday following the killing of three of their members by a truck driver on Wednesday evening around Kemta, Abeokuta.
The technicians blocked the newly constructed Ajebo/OGTV expressway and vowed to prevent truck drivers from using the road until concrete measures are taken to address the recurring loss of lives due to the alleged recklessness of the truck drivers.
According to the technicians, at least five lives have been lost between December 2024 and the first week of February 2025, all allegedly due to the reckless driving of truck drivers on the road.
Comrade Saheed Arulogun, Chairman of the Ajebo Mechanic Village unit of NATA, spoke with the press, expressing the technicians’ frustration and sadness over the senseless killings and the reckless behavior of the truck drivers.
“We are out today to express our sadness and frustration over these truck drivers who have continued to cause avoidable loss of lives on the Ajebo/OGTV road,” Arulogun said. “Last night, at about 6:30 p.m., one of the truck drivers ran over three of our members who were on motorcycles heading home after work. The accident occurred around Kemta, and that was the end of these precious souls.”
Arulogun highlighted several previous incidents, including the killing of a staff member of the Federal Medical Centre on December 27 and another fatality in January. “We are tired of these senseless killings,” he said. “These are human beings, breadwinners in their homes. This must not be allowed to continue.”
The NATA Chairman also pointed out the truck drivers’ disregard for other road users, claiming that they often park in the middle of the road, causing unnecessary obstruction. “We have observed that many of these truck drivers are on drugs, so they behave as they like on the road,” he added. “They care less about other road users and have no safety orientation.”
Arulogun called on the government to take action, saying, “The government must not allow them to continue to plunge people into unimaginable sorrow. The government must be ready to wield its big stick on any of them found wanting.”
He suggested that the government restrict the movement of trucks to nighttime, as was done during the tenure of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun. He also urged the state government to arrange a meeting between technicians and truck owners to find a lasting solution to the issue.
Comrade Rabiu Nurudeen, Chairman of the Motor Spare Parts and Engine Oil Sellers in the Mechanic Village, also appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently intervene and address the situation. “We are all tired of these terrible killings by truck drivers. These drivers are reckless, intimidate other road users, and feel they are above the law,” Nurudeen said. “The government must intervene and call the truck drivers to order. The government should also help fix the bad section of the road around Kemta, which could be contributing to these accidents.”
