Ondo Varsity Students Oppose Removal Of Barricade Intended To Prevent Accidents Few Months After Fatal Crash

The spokesperson for the institution's Students' Union Government, Femi Adegbeyeni, said the students recently held a protest against the reopening of the barricade.

Barely six months after a fatal accident that claimed the lives of some students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, the barricade built to prevent a reoccurrence has been removed, our correspondent learnt.

According to him, students fought for the barricade to be constructed to ensure the safety of the lives and property of both students and road users but are, however, disappointed at the latest development.

He urged the state government and other stakeholders to ensure a dualisation of the road.

He said, “AAUA SUG is never in support of the reopening of the barricade. We were the ones who masterminded how the barricade got there. Now, we have discovered that they have reopened the barricade and some people there are collecting money from trucks and allowing them to come in.

“The students protested recently against the reopening of the barricade that we don't want a repeat of what happened on the 23rd of January. Lives are being lost through incessant accidents, we don't want a repeat and the state government or leadership of whoever is controlling the road, they are not showing any concern as expected.

“I don't know if it is the federal government that needs to intervene but there is a need to dualise the road. This is too bad, so pathetic!"

In January, an accident occurred at the same spot claiming no fewer than nine lives. It was gathered that three siblings were among the victims, who lost their lives in the crash. The shock later led to the death of their mother.

Several others were injured in the accident that involved a truck belonging to Dangote Cement.

Similarly, a former Students' Union President of the university, Samuel Adesomoju, popularly known as Sampraise, was also confirmed to be one of the victims of the crash.

The body of Adesomoju, a 500-level law student, was discovered in the mortuary after the crash.

It was gathered that the cement-laden truck was going to Owo from Obajana in Kogi State when its brakes allegedly failed. As a result, the driver lost control of the vehicle, swerved off the road and rammed into some shops directly opposite the university.