The House of Representatives has called for the restriction of the movement of trucks and trailers along the Lokoja/Okene/Benin highway to a period between 10 pm and 6 am to avoid frequent accidents and loss of life on the road.

The House also called on the Ministry of Works to prioritise and fast-track the ongoing reconstruction of the Bida–Agaie-Lapai–Lambata-Suleja road to ease vehicular movements, mitigate traffic congestion, and reduce the need for tankers to park along major roads on the route.

This followed the adoption of two separate motions of urgent public importance sponsored by Suleiman Aguye (APC, Kogi) and Saidu Musa Abdullahi (APC, Niger during Wednesday’s plenary.

The House said there was a need for urgent steps to expand the road and construct a flyover bridge in Lokoja to avoid the frequent vehicular accidents along the routes, which often lead to the loss of lives and injuries to road users.

Leading debate on the motion, Aguye said that in 2025 alone, “Over 10 accidents have occurred on the Lokoja/Nataco/ Felele expressway, leading to avoidable and sad loss of many precious lives, especially students.

“These accidents in the said road leave many others sustaining various degrees of injuries including incapacitation in significant numbers.”

He recalled that on Monday, February 17, 2025, “a very tragic accident occurred involving about 10 students of the Federal University of Lokoja alongside the driver conveying them as an articulated truck carrying wood rammed into the school shuttle bus conveying students, leading to the loss of their lives.

“Many students of Kogi State Polytechnic and residents of Lokoja, neighbouring Felele, and immediate communities or travellers have met their untimely death, regularly.”

While blaming overspeeding and reckless driving by truck and tanker drivers for the frequent accidents, he said, “If nothing is done to salvage the worrisome situation, it may result in a continued loss of innocent lives on a large scale.”

He emphasized the need for the urgent construction of a by-pass, flyover bridge, and expansion of the road as part of measures to curtail the further loss of innocent and productive lives on the one-kilometre stretch on the highway and mitigation against future occurrence.

Similarly, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Road Safety Corps, and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to continuously engage and sensitise the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association, National Association of Road Transport Owners to always adhere to safety standard,s especially on the highway.

It also called for collaboration between the Federal Government agencies and the Niger State Government to provide well-structured parking facilities in major towns along the route from Jebba to Suleja particularly in Bida and Lambata to ensure safety and smooth traffic flow.

In addition, the House asked the Federal Ministry of Works to prioritise and fast-track the ongoing reconstruction of the Bida–Agaie-Lapai–Lambata-Suleja road to ease vehicular movements, mitigate traffic congestion, and reduce the need for tankers to park along major roads on the route.

The House urged the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Federal Ministry of Works to prioritise the security and reconstruction of the Mokwa-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road. 

The House urged security agencies to enhance patrol and monitoring of the high-risk areas to prevent security breaches and possible threats to the lives of Bida residents.

Leading the debate, Saidu Musa Abdullahi recalled that youth groups in Bida have written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives to convey their reservations over the indiscriminate parking of petroleum and articulated vehicles along major roads in the town which has resulted in severe safety and environmental risk.

He said, “The recent tragic tanker explosion at Diko Junction in Niger State, which claimed numerous lives and destroyed properties, highlights the grave danger posed by improperly parked tankers and the urgent need for regulatory enforcement to prevent similar occurrences.

“The House is aware that associations, including Nupe Excel, Landzun Youth Development Association, Bida 70s, and Eid Youth Association Bida, have raised alarm over the dangers posed by these parked tankers, including an increase in road accidents, environmental hazards from flammable substances, traffic congestion, and growing security concerns.

“The Niger state government in a bid to proffer lasting solution and mitigate the danger posed by these articulated vehicles has despite endless needs competing for its scarce resources, embarked on the construction of a 44km dual carriage ring road -bypass with complimentary infrastructures including a Trailer Transit Park around Bida.”

He said further that the abandonment of the Mokwa-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari – Kaduna route due to activities of bandits, kidnappers, and the deteriorating nature of the road has resulted in more traffic on the Bida-Agaie-Lapai_Lambata-Suleja route.