By correspondent in Lokoja.
Kogi State government has acted on the resolutions passed by the State House of Assembly, focusing on the construction of an alternative route to safely transport students and other commuters to and from the Federal University Lokoja (FUL).
This move comes in response to a series of fatal accidents on the Felele highway, which have claimed several lives, including six students on February 17, 2025.
The announcement was made in a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Yabagi Mohammed.
The State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Muhammed Yusuf, provided the update during a visit to FUL’s campus and Agbaja area alongside the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf.
Engr. Yusuf assured the public that the alternative route would be completed promptly to prevent further loss of life on the Felele highway.
The highway has long been a danger zone for students, leading to the recent closure of the university after the tragic accident.
On Wednesday, Speaker Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, accompanied by other key government officials, including the mover of the motion for the alternative route, Hon. Bin-Ebaiya Shehu Tijjani, and representatives from the State Ministry of Works and KOG ROMA, toured the proposed construction area.
The Speaker expressed deep concern for the safety of students and residents in his constituency, pledging that the state government would prioritize swift action on the matter.
The motion calling for the new route was passed by the Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday after a series of accidents, including the recent fatal one, raised by Hon. Tijjani.
The Speaker stressed that the executive’s quick response demonstrated the administration’s commitment to ensuring public safety.
In a statement, Federal University Lokoja’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Olayemi Akinwunmi, expressed gratitude to the state government for prioritizing safety, pledging that the university would support any measures that would ensure the well-being of students.
The Chairman of Lokoja Local Government, Comrade Abdullahi Adamu, also extended his appreciation, thanking Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the Speaker for their unwavering commitment to the safety of students and motorists using the highway.
Administrative work has resumed at the Federal University Lokoja, but students have yet to return to classes.
The university remains closed indefinitely,as at the time of this report,following the tragic accident on Felele Road, where five students of the institution lost their lives.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
