Following the repeated attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on travellers, the ever-busy Ife-Ibadan Expressway was has remained scanty.
From Gbongan Junction to the boundary of Osun and Oyo states, there were four police checkpoints manned by heavily armed riot police.
The security situation became more tense after last Wednesday’s attack, which claimed the life of an employee of the Atakumosa West Local Government Area, Adenipekun Samson, who was shot in the neck by some gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits.
The deceased, who was confirmed dead in a hospital as a result of the gunshot, was said to be travelling in an unregistered Toyota Corolla car driven by one Ismaila Olayiwola, going towards Ibadan, Oyo State, when the incident happened.
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Speaking to The Punch on the situation, some drivers attributed the light vehicular movement on the road to the frequent robbery attacks.
One of the drivers, identified as Adenekan, said the reduction in the volume of traffic was as a result of the increase in the attack on travellers by bandits.
He said, “The number of vehicles coming from Osogbo and Ife towards Ibadan has reduced. The attacks by bandits cause this. We can only hope that the perpetrators will be arrested to restore people’s confidence. Despite today being weekend, people are not travelling through this route. People are afraid to use this road.”
Also speaking, a passenger waiting for a vehicle going to Ibadan in the Ogo Oluwa area of Osogbo, Kunle Adeoye, appealed that the bad portions of the road should be immediately repaired to ensure free flow of traffic, thus giving little room to the bandits to launch attacks.