By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – A 45-year-old artist, Balogun Omokhafe, also known as Hakuzion, on Monday completed a four-day trek from his hometown in Ekpesa, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, to Benin City, Edo State, to protest the deplorable state of the Igarra–Ibillo section of the Auchi–Ibillo Road and rising cases of kidnapping in the area.
Omokhafe said the deteriorating condition of the road has turned the route into a hotspot for criminal activity, particularly abductions. He estimated that over 100 people have been kidnapped along the axis, with several lives lost. He cited the unresolved case of Okasime Olowojoba, the Labour Party Chairman of Ward 1, Akoko-Edo, who has been missing for over four months following his abduction.
Speaking to journalists upon arrival in Benin, Omokhafe explained: “I began my journey from Ibillo, but due to heavy rain, I had to take a vehicle to Auchi, from where I started trekking to Benin to appeal directly to the governor.”
He described the road as a death trap: “You can’t travel along that road and confidently say goodbye to your family – you may not return. That’s how dangerous it is.”
Despite the risks involved, Omokhafe said his concern for his people overpowered any fear.
“What we are facing in Akoko-Edo conquered the fear I would have had on the way,” he said.
He appealed to the state government to urgently rehabilitate the road, adding that improved infrastructure would reduce the ease with which kidnappers operate.
“We know the governor is hardworking. I saw evidence of his work as I trekked to Benin. But we need his intervention on this road – fixing it will make it difficult for criminals to strike,” he concluded.
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