I am compelled to lend my voice as a concerned stakeholder living in this area. We cannot continue to keep silent while innocent lives are being lost repeatedly. This ugly incident has been happening consistently for more than a decade now at this particular area,*enough is enough* we need decessive action to minimise this massacre drastically.Some people are victims today;tomorrow it could be any one of us.
Barely three weeks ago precisely on February 17th,2026 a devastating accident at Tollgate,Ota Ogun State reportedly claimed about eighteen lives. Sadly,another tragic crash occurred again yesterday Friday, March 6th, 2026, reportedly leaving at least four people dead and several others seriously injured. Once again,families have been thrown into mourning. Once again, lives have been lost due to circumstances that are entirely preventable.
What is happening at Tollgate,Ota is no longer a mere accident; it has become a recurring and preventable tragedy. For years,commuters and residents have watched the situation worsen while authorities respond only after disasters occur. Each time lives are lost, we hear condolence messages, sympathy visits, and promises of action, yet the dangerous conditions remain unchanged.
I must commend the effort of His Royal Majesty, Oba Prof. Adeyemi Abdul-Kabir Obalange, the Olota of Ota, who recently visited the area around one month plus with the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Lawal, and security operatives to address the indiscipline of roadside trading and illegal parking around the Tollgate and other busy parts of Ota. While this effort is commendable,more decisive actions are urgently needed.
The major causes of these recurring tragedies are clear. Roadside trading has taken over the corridor, forcing pedestrians onto the road and creating dangerous distractions for drivers. At the same time, commercial buses, tricycles, and motorcycles have turned the mainroad into an illegal motor park, picking up and dropping passengers indiscriminately on the highway. Combined with the steep descent toward the Tollgate, overspeeding,and vehicles with faulty brakes, the area has effectively become a death trap.
Shockingly,despite repeated accidents, there are still no effective speed-calming measures such as speed breakers, rumble strips, or proper traffic control infrastructure at this critical point and other strategic areas within Ota. The painful truth is that lives are being lost not because solutions are unavailable, but because enforcement has been weak and action delayed.
Enough is enough,authorities, stakeholders,and enforcement agencies must move beyond condolences and take immediate and decisive action.
In interim,there are some short-term measures we can put in place to minimize this tragic occurrence which includes;immediate removal and strict enforcement of roadside trading around the Tollgate corridor, barricades too can be of help…,Strict enforcement against roadside parking and passenger loading by commercial vehicles…, Strict Enforcement of designated market spaces away from the highway for traders…,24-hour deployment of traffic and road safety officials to regulate traffic flow…,Urgent installation of rumble strips,speed breakers, and warning signs along the dangerous slope approaching the Tollgate.
Consequently,strong sanctions must also be enforced, including impoundment of vehicles involved in illegal parking or loading, heavy fines for traders obstructing the highway, and prosecution of repeat offenders. Nothing stops authorities from adopting enforcement models similar to KAI operations used in Lagos to maintain order.
Similarly in the Long-term, some possible solutions that can be put in place should include;Construction of designated motor parks for commercial operators…,Construction of overhead bridges for vehicles where necessary and pedestrian bridges for safe crossing…,Installation of automated speed monitoring systems and traffic cameras.
These are practical and achievable solutions. What has been lacking is the political will and sustained enforcement needed to protect lives.
The people of Ota, daily commuters, and families who have lost loved ones deserve more than sympathy, they deserve safety and decisive action. Every life lost on this road is a painful reminder that negligence and inaction have consequences.
We cannot continue to normalize tragedy.The repeated deaths at Tollgate,Ota must serve as a turning point. Authorities must act now,before more innocent lives are lost.
*Enough is enough!*
~Omooba Ojugbele Dahood Dunmininu O.D.D
Writes from Osi,Ota Ogun State.
7th March, 2026.
