Hit-and-Run Driver Fatally Strikes FUNAAB Professor
Residents of Ajebo Road Housing Estate in Kemta, Abeokuta, are in mourning following the tragic death of Professor Oladipo Ademuyiwa, a renowned Biochemical Toxicology expert at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). He was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on Sunday while attempting to cross the newly rehabilitated Kemta-Somorin road.
Prof. Ademuyiwa, who was in his early 60s, had just stepped out of a cab near the Prof. Wole Soyinka end of the road when an overspeeding driver hit him and fled the scene.
Dr. Ayo Ajasa, Chairman of the Ajebo Road Housing Estate Community Development Association (CDA), expressed deep sorrow over the incident in a statement on Tuesday, describing the loss as preventable. He criticized the Ogun State government for failing to install speed breakers despite repeated appeals from the community.
“This unfortunate tragedy highlights the urgent need for immediate government intervention to prevent further loss of lives on this road,” Ajasa stated.
He condemned the authorities for installing speed bumps on the Ilugun section of the road while neglecting repeated requests for similar safety measures in Ajebo Road Housing Estate.
Ajasa urged the state government to take urgent action by installing speed breakers, lorry barriers, and clear traffic signage to curb reckless driving. He also called for stricter law enforcement to address excessive speeding within the estate.
He further lamented that within 24 hours of Prof. Ademuyiwa’s death, another accident occurred, reinforcing the dangers of the road.
“It is unacceptable that a community of law-abiding citizens must endure frequent accidents and now the tragic loss of a respected professor due to government inaction,” he stated.
Ajasa held the Ogun State government accountable and urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to take immediate steps to improve road safety before more lives are lost. He also called on the media, civil society groups, and concerned Nigerians to amplify their plea for safer roads in the community.
