Residents of Iwogban-Ute axis of Benin City have applauded Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for restoring security to their community through the reclamation of a devastating gully and reconstruction of the road, which they said had previously become a haven for robbers and kidnappers.
Speaking with newsmen on Friday, the residents said the deplorable state of the road, coupled with the deep and expanding gully, had left parts of the community inaccessible and created secluded spots which criminals exploited to terrorise residents.
They said the situation had become so frightening that many people avoided moving around the area, particularly during the early morning and late evening hours.
A resident, Mrs Esosa Odigie, who has lived in the area for over 10 years, said the intervention had brought a remarkable change to the security situation.
According to her, the road was previously a “no-go area”, having been virtually cut into two by the gully, forcing residents to improvise with a handmade bridge simply to cross to the other side of the community.
Mrs Odigie said the poor access had compounded insecurity, as criminals took advantage of the difficult terrain and deserted portions of the road to operate.
She added that the situation became so bad that residents were moving out in droves, while some property owners sold their houses and relocated to other parts of the city.
She, however, said the situation had changed significantly since the road was reclaimed, noting that residents can now move freely without the fear that previously characterised the area.
“Now, things have improved. No more robbery, no more fear of coming out early in the morning to hustle.
People have started coming to rent here,” she said, expressing appreciation to the governor for the intervention.
Another resident, Mrs. Bridget Ogbeide, recalled that residents previously had to improvise with pieces of wood to create makeshift bridges because the road had become impassable.
She said the gully was not only a major environmental threat but also contributed to the insecurity in the community, as its depth, poor access and surrounding spaces provided cover for criminal elements.
Mrs. Ogbeide said the reclamation of the gully, construction of drainage infrastructure and reconstruction of the road had changed the security dynamics of the area, allowing residents, motorists and security personnel to access previously isolated sections of the community with greater ease.
Speaking at the project site, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Edo State Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency, Hon. Mohammed Bawa Okoyomon, said the area had previously been virtually inaccessible because of the gully and bad road. He said the intervention, undertaken with the support of Governor Okpebholo, had reclaimed the gully and restored access to the community, noting that the area had previously become a den for criminals and kidnappers.
Okoyomon disclosed that the road measures about 1.7 kilometres, while the drainage network covers approximately 5.5 kilometres, stressing that the project was executed to address both the erosion challenge and the access problem.
He said the restoration of the corridor had helped to improve security and reconnect residents to the wider community, adding that the Iwogban-Ute intervention was part of the wider infrastructure projects being implemented across Edo State.