Auchi-Ibillo Road Protest: Artist Balogun Omokhafe treks 4 days to Benin to raise alarm over bad road causing deaths and kidnappings in Akoko-Edo
Auchi-Ibillo Road Protest reached a dramatic peak this week as 45-year-old artist, Balogun Omokhafe, also known as Hakuzion, completed a four-day trek from Akoko-Edo to Benin City.
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His mission: to raise alarm over the deadly state of the Igarra–Ibillo section of the Auchi–Ibillo Road, a route now notorious for kidnappings and fatalities.
“I trekked from Auchi to Benin,” Omokhafe told journalists on Monday. “I started from Ibillo, but due to heavy rains, I took a vehicle to Auchi and continued on foot.
I came to see the governor and plead for urgent intervention.”
The Auchi-Ibillo Road Protest is Omokhafe’s way of calling attention to what many residents have described as a “death trap.”
According to him, rough estimates suggest over 100 people have been kidnapped along the road, including the still-missing Ward 1 Labour Party chairman, Okasime Olowojoba.
“You can’t travel that road and confidently say goodbye to your family,” he lamented. “The kidnappers thrive there because the road is so bad—it gives them the perfect cover.”
Undeterred by personal risk, Omokhafe said fear was outweighed by the suffering in his community. “This four-day journey was tough, but what we face daily in Akoko-Edo is worse.”
He acknowledged the Edo State governor’s efforts on other infrastructure projects but urged that the Auchi-Ibillo Road Protest not be in vain.
“I saw some roadworks being done on my way, so I know the governor is working. But we need him to act fast on this road. Fix it, and kidnappers will lose their ground.”
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Omokhafe’s bold move has drawn attention to one of Edo State’s most pressing humanitarian and security crises a powerful reminder that citizen-led protests remain a vital force in Nigeria’s democracy.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
