Residents express fear as erosion washes away Yimi-Ikwa road

Residents of Yimi-Ikwa, in Gwagwalada Area Council, have expressed fear as erosion has washed away large portion of the road that links them to Zuba town. Some of the residents said the gully erosion had forced motorists to divert to alternative route to Zuba. A resident, Adelekan Jamiu, said the erosion has made the road […]

Residents of Yimi-Ikwa, in Gwagwalada Area Council, have expressed fear as erosion has washed away large portion of the road that links them to Zuba town.

Some of the residents said the gully erosion had forced motorists to divert to alternative route to Zuba.

A resident, Adelekan Jamiu, said the erosion has made the road impassable, adding that he was forced to park his vehicle at a friend’s house in Zuba town and take an ‘Okada’ ride home.

He said the Yimi-Ikwa road was the only alternative road that links them to Zuba, adding that many residents that have cars and other motorists have to abandon their vehicles in Zuba town and take motorcycles home despite all the risks.

Another resident, Ibrahim Isyaku, said two houses are now on the verge of collapse as a result of erosion. He said the occupants of one of the houses had to relocate to Zuba.

According to him, the deplorable state of the Yimi-Ikwa road has, within the last two weeks, paralysed socio-economic activities in the area.

“Once there is another heavy downpour, the road will be completely washed away and there is no alternative road except through Tungan-Maje,” he said.

A farmer at Yimi village, Saidu Bala, said the condition of the road has caused hardships to farmers in the community as they find it difficult to transport their crops to Zuba market.

“I have some crops that I need to convey to the market in Zuba, but because of the road that is completely cut off, I will not be able to move them and that will affect my profit,” he said.

He appealed to the Area Council chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, to intensify efforts in liaising with the FCT Administration to rehabilitate the road.

A resident of Zuba, Muhammad Kabiru, said there was need for the area council authorities to give priority to the road, adding that the affected road also leads to many parts of the area, including the burial ground.

“Three days ago, when we were conveying a corpse for burial, we had to stop at the erosion site and trek with the corpse down to the burial ground because the road has been cut off,” he said.

He further noted that major roads within Zuba metropolis are in deplorable state, saying many residents, especially those with vehicles, could hardly drive to their homes.

Reacting, the vice chairman of the council, Alhaji Mohammed Kassim, said the council had already sent officials of the Works Department of the council to inspect the erosion site to assess the next step to take.

“In fact, I personally spent over N300,000 last year to fill that erosion with truckloads of stones, until this rainy season washed it away. But the area council is trying to see how it will address the erosion problem in that area,” he said.