Ogun fish farmers lament insecurity around Ikangba-Agoro road
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The fish farmers around Ikangba-Agoro road via Ijebu Ode in Odogbolu local government area of Ogun State have for the umpteenth time pleaded with Gov Dapo Abiodun to help in fixing this road saying that its deplorable condition is now serving as incentive for the criminals to operate at will on this road.
The Chairman of Yemule-Ikangba-Agoro Fish Farmers Association, Comr Lazarus Okole, disclosed this in a press briefing held at Ikangba, via Ijebu Ode.
Okole who spoke through, Nicholas Eko, the Spokesman of the association disclosed that the poor state of the road upon which the fish farmers and the residents of the communities in the area had in the past sought for the intervention of Gov Dapo Abiodun and other relevant agencies has now become a nightmare for the users of the road.
He narrated how on December 12, one of them, 32-year old Amos Oyemachi who augmented his fishing business with operation of tricycle business was brutally murdered on this road while his newly bought tricycle was taken away.
Okole said his family had waited for him to return home in the evening and had raised alarm the following day after which his mutilated body was discovered at Agoro end of the said bad road. Oyemachi was said to have been buried on Saturday, December 17 leaving behind a wife and two children aged five and two.
He said not too long ago, a commercial motorcycle rider popularly called Okada was also killed on this road while his motorcycle was taken away.
Okole explained that “we are still grappling with the sorrow of over N500M loss we suffered in July this year due to the flooding of our various fish ponds which was aggravated by the terrible erosion on this road leading to overflowing of Yemule river, when one of us was also killed in a very callous manner while looking for what to feed his family with.
He explained further that fish farmers and other residents of communities in these areas now ply the Agoro-Okun Owa axis of the road with palpable fear as no one knows who will be the next target of these criminally minded people.
Okole said our demands are that the police should as a matter of urgency fish out the killers of Oyemachi while also ensuring heavy presence of security agents around this axis of road said to have been overtaken by swath of forest.
He said while police usually mount at least four check points between Obalende and Ikangba, their obvious absence around Agoro-Okun Owa end of the road must have also boosted the confidence of those perpetrating evil on this road.
The fish farmers equally demanded that the government compensate family of Oyemachi who left behind a wife and two children as a way of mitigating the tragic loss.
Okole said that Gov Dapo Abiodun and the federal government should also help to fix this road due to its economic importance while the Yemule river should also be dredged during this dry season to forestall another devasting flood and the attendant losses whenever the rain begins.
