Senate declares Onyagede-Ogobia road security threat, orders urgent rehabilitation

By Haruna Salami

The Senate has described the deteriorating state of the Onyagede-Ogobia Road, located off the Otukpo-Oweto Highway in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State, as a national security threat and directed the Federal Government to begin emergency rehabilitation of the 28-kilometre road without delay.

The resolution followed the Senate’s adoption of the report presented by its Committees on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and National Security and Intelligence, which investigated the urgent need for intervention on the road.

Presenting the report on behalf of the joint committees, Senator Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) said members carried out an oversight visit to the road between July 3 and 4, 2026, in compliance with an earlier Senate resolution directing them to evaluate its condition and security implications.

According to him, the inspection included a physical assessment of the road as well as consultations with security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, former government officials and other stakeholders.

Ya’u told lawmakers that the committee found only about two kilometres of the 28-kilometre road to be passable, while the remaining 26 kilometres had suffered severe structural damage, extensive erosion and poor drainage, leaving the route largely inaccessible.

He noted that the road’s deplorable condition had disrupted economic activities, driven up transportation costs, limited access to healthcare and education, and exposed residents and travellers to heightened security risks.

He further explained that the bad state of the road had hampered the operations of security agencies by delaying emergency response and restricting patrols, thereby creating opportunities for criminal activities along the corridor.

While acknowledging that FERMA had undertaken palliative repairs on the road, Ya’u said the interventions were inadequate given the extent of the damage.

He also commended President Bola Tinubu for approving N100 billion for infrastructure intervention in the 2026 budget, describing the allocation as a significant step toward improving Nigeria’s road infrastructure.

The committee recommended that the Federal Government immediately rehabilitate the failed sections of the Onyagede-Ogobia Road pending its full reconstruction, at an estimated cost of N15.45 billion as proposed by FERMA.

It also called for increased security deployment along the road, incorporation of proper drainage and erosion control measures into the rehabilitation work, and enhanced funding for FERMA to strengthen road maintenance nationwide.

In addition, the committee urged the Federal Government to rehabilitate two critically damaged federal roads requiring urgent attention in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Supporting the report, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro (Benue South) praised the committees for conducting the inspection and obtaining firsthand information on the plight of communities affected by the road’s condition.

He, however, urged the Senate to ensure that its resolutions are implemented rather than abandoned after adoption.

He stressed that the Senate Committee on Compliance was established to ensure resolutions passed by the chamber are effectively monitored and implemented instead of remaining unexecuted.

Senator Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East), who participated in the inspection, described the condition of the road as alarming, noting that a journey that should normally take 45 minutes lasted about three hours because of its poor state.

He said rehabilitating the road was vital to Nigeria’s food security, considering Benue State’s strategic role as the nation’s food basket, warning that continued neglect would disrupt the movement of agricultural produce.

Agadaga also linked the road’s poor condition to worsening insecurity, saying security personnel often struggled to access affected communities during emergencies.

Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South) also supported the report and urged the Federal Government to extend similar interventions to other failed federal roads across the country.

He called for the timely release of funds for road projects, especially before the onset of the rainy season, to prevent further deterioration.

Following deliberations, the Senate adopted all the committee’s recommendations, including declaring the Onyagede-Ogobia Road a national security concern, ordering its immediate emergency rehabilitation, increasing security patrols, improving drainage infrastructure and maintaining legislative oversight of the project.

Lawmakers also amended one of the recommendations to ensure that federal roads in the Federal Capital Territory benefit from the proposed intervention alongside those in the 36 states. The amendment was moved by Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT), who argued that Abuja’s federal roads also deserve urgent attention.

The Senate further commended the Federal Government for ongoing road construction and rehabilitation projects across the country.