In a tragic incident, an infant simply named Ayoola has lost his life after falling into a flooded gully at Lusada Market, along the Lusada/Ketu road in Ado Odo Ota LG, Ogun State.
The incident occurred early Tuesday during the weekly market trading at the popular foodstuffs market. Following a heavy rainfall, the market and the two gullies on the roadside were flooded. The child’s mother, who was involved in trading activities, reportedly tripped and fell into the ditch.
Eyewitnesses claim that the child and the mother were helped out of the gutter, but the child had already suffocated in the muddy water and was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital.
The Onigboko of Igboko Aworiland (Lusada), Oba Itu Olasunkanmi Yusuf Oladehinde, expressed his regret and condolences over the tragic incident. He revealed that the government has been working on the road for six years, but the project has been abandoned, leaving the community to suffer the consequences.
Oba Olasunkanmi pleaded with the state government to resume work on the road, as it has always constituted a menace, especially during the rainy season. He said that he has written letters and pleaded severally with the government, both at the state and local government levels, to help them, but to no avail.
Mr. Nozir Kaffi, a cleric who runs an Arabic school along the road, also corroborated Oba Itu’s claims, describing the abandoned road project as a menace to residents in the community. He stated that whenever it rains, they usually close learning activities due to the huge flooding, and students, traders, and residents often trip off while on motorcycles because of the slippery road.
The community is now calling on the government to come to their rescue and complete the abandoned road project to prevent further tragedies in the area.
