A 45-year-old Edo-born artist, Mr Balogun Omokhafe, on Monday, July 27th, 2025, completed a four-day trek from Akoko-Edo local government area in the state to Benin in protest over the dilapidated state of the Igarra – Ibillo section of the Auchi – Ibillo Road.
Omokhafe, also known as “Hakuzion”, while speaking to journalists in Benin, claimed that the poor state of the road has made it easy for kidnappers to abduct people in the area.
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According to him, “From an estimated conservative statistic, not less than 100 people have been kidnapped in the axis and many deaths have been recorded.”
The artist who hails from Ekpesa community in Akoko-Edo cited the case of the Ward 1 Labour Party (LP) Chairman, Okasime Olowojoba, who has been kidnapped for over four months, and he is yet to be seen.
He said, “I am from Ekpesa in Akoko-Edo local government area. I am an artist, and I trekked from Auchi to Benin.
“The journey started from Ibillo, but because of the rain, I took a vehicle to Auchi and started the trek from there to Benin to see the governor in the government house.
“The reason for this trek is about the bad road from Auchi to Ibillo, especially from Igarra to Ibillo axis, which has become a death trap to our people.
“You can’t travel along that road and bid your family a proper farewell because you may not return.
“From a rough statistics, over 100 people have been kidnapped on that road and many killed. The Ward 1 Labour Party (LP) chairman in Akoko-Edo has been kidnapped on that road for the past four months and till date, he has not been seen”.
On whether he was not scared of dangers along the way, he said, “This trek took me four days to get to Benin; what we have been facing in Akoko-Edo conquered the fear I would have had on the way to Benin.
“We want the government to look into the Auchi–Igarra road and fix it for us. We know the governor is a hard-working governor.
“I even saw some of the works he is doing while on my way trekking to Benin. We need his support to save us from the kidnappers.
“The road is not good those kidnappers will not be able to operate there if the road is good,” he concluded.
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