A toddler simply identified as Ayoola has lost his life after falling into a flooded gully at Lusada Market, along Lusada/Ketu road, Ado Odo Ota LG, Ogun State.
It was gathered that the incident occured early Tuesday during the weekly Market trading at the popular foodstuffs market.
Following a heavy rainfall which flooded the market and overflowed the two gullies on the roadside, the child’s mother was said to have been involved in trading activities when she tripped and fell inside the ditches.
Eyewitnesses claim that the child and mother were helped out of the gutter but the child had 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, who spoke with newsmen expressed regret and condolences on the sad incident.
“It is true. I have been making efforts to reach the woman or her family members. She is a trader from Owode.
Speaking on the abandoned state of the road, Oba Olasunkanmi pleaded with the state government to see to the resumption of work on the road as it had been abandoned for six years.
“The government has been on that road for six years now. I have written letters and pleaded severally with the government both at the state and local government level to help us. This road has always constituted a menace especially every time it rains.
“Governor Dapo Abiodun promised to work on it when he started work on the Atan/Agbara road but even that one has been abandoned. We are suffering here. Commuters, traders, residents and especially students are really finding it difficult accessing the road.
“Personally, I have spent over 5 million naira on that road, from my personal resources. I sometimes pay for the grading of that road and the dredging of the gutters but we need the government to intervene. My resources are limited.” He said.
Mr. Nozir Kaffi, a cleric who runs an Arabic school along the road also corroborated Oba Itu’s claims. He described the abandoned road project as a menace to residents in the community.
“Everytime it rains, we usually close learning activities because of the huge flooding. Students, traders and residents are always in a dilemma as they often trip off while on motorcycles because of the slippery road. Government should come to our rescue.” He said.
