Disaster Looming: Only Road Linking Abuja To Lagos In Oka On The Brink Of Collapse From Landslide

▪️”OKA MUST NOT BE CUT INTO TWO”: Residents, Youths Panic; Describe How 100-Metre Gully Is Eating Into Oke-Oka–Iwaro Road

Panic has gripped residents of Oka, Ondo State, South-West Nigeria, as a massive landslide and gully erosion along the Oke-Oka–Iwaro road threatens to cut off one of the only major routes linking Abuja with Lagos through the town.

The Oka Youth Forum, OYF, has declared the situation “an environmental and public safety emergency,” warning that if urgent intervention is not carried out, the community risks being split in two.

A legal luminary and prominent indigene of the town, Barrister Jide Ologun, told NOP NIGERIA that the issue was an emergency.

“This is an emergency o. The only major road in through my town linking Abuja with Lagos is about to succumb to erosion / landslide,” he declared.

According to the youth body, the erosion first flagged as a concern over a year ago has now degenerated into a dangerous 100-metre-long gully that has eaten deep beneath and alongside the roadway. A significant portion of the road is already virtually cut into two.

“What we feared yesterday is gradually becoming our reality today,” the OYF said in a statement signed by its President, Oladele Segun A. “This is no longer a matter that should be treated as a routine road-maintenance issue. It is an emergency.”

The group stressed that the Oke-Oka–Iwaro road is not just a local street. It is a critical artery connecting communities and facilitating movement between the southern and northern parts of the area, with direct links to the Abuja-Lagos corridor.

If the road collapses completely, the consequences would be far-reaching: disruption of movement of people and vehicles, crippling of commercial activities, blocked access to schools and healthcare, and delays in security and emergency response.

The erosion also threatens the transportation of agricultural produce and goods, a lifeline for farmers in the area, and could cripple the general socio-economic life of residents.

In a bid to force government action, OYF members staged a peaceful demonstration this morning along the affected axis to draw urgent attention to the deteriorating condition and demand immediate intervention.

“We cannot sit back and watch an avoidable disaster happen before we act,” the President said. “Together with other senior comrades and concerned stakeholders, we have continued to push and make contacts with the relevant authorities.”

The protest appears to have yielded quick responses. The Commissioner of Police has personally intervened and contacted the Area Commander, DPO, and Road Safety officials. The Local Government Chairman has also been briefed.

Hon. Raymond, the community’s representative, confirmed he has reached out to the Governor of Ondo State, and that the Governor has been briefed on the situation. The Commissioner is expected to visit the site tomorrow.

While welcoming the responses, OYF said promises are not enough. “We do not need promises alone. We need urgent physical intervention. Every hour matters,” the statement read.

The group vowed to continue engaging authorities tomorrow until emergency measures are taken. “We are not against government. We are asking government to act before this situation becomes a catastrophe,” it added.

Buy One, Get One Free: Igbo-Ora, A Town, And Its Mystery of Twins

Why Ondo’s “Least Indebted” Crown Is Actually a Badge of Economic Failure, By Kunle Odusola-Stevenson

A Requiem for Omo Aje, by Oladeinde Olawoyin

Marry, Divorce or Die, You Have Fingers To Lose; Damn Tale of Dani Tribe

‘Not Lifted Yet,’ NLNG MD Says Nigeria Force Majeure Still In Place 4 Years On

OYF called on residents to remain calm, united and vigilant, describing the fight as “not a political battle. It is a community survival issue.”

“We have raised the alarm. We have drawn attention to the danger. Now, the authorities must rise to the occasion,” Oladele concluded. “OKA MUST NOT BE CUT INTO TWO. WE MUST SAVE OUR ROAD BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

NOP NIGERIA