Community Calls for Action After Tragic Death of Professor Oladipo Ademuyiwa in Abeokuta

Babatunji Wusu –

• Professor Oladipo Ademuyiwa, a biochemistry professor at FUNAAB, was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Kemta-Somorin Road in Abeokuta.
• The local community, represented by Dr. Ayo Ajasa, has called for immediate safety measures, including speed breakers and improved law enforcement.
• Despite repeated requests, the Ogun State Government has failed to address the community’s safety concerns, leading to further accidents.
• The community is urging the government to intervene and prevent more tragedies, holding them accountable for the lack of action.

Professor Oladipo Ademuyiwa, a respected biochemistry professor at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), tragically lost his life in a hit-and-run accident on Kemta-Somorin Road in Abeokuta on Sunday, February 16, 2025. The incident, which has shaken the local community, could have been avoided, according to Dr. Ayo Ajasa, Chairman of the Ajebo Road Housing Estate Community Development Association (CDA).

In a statement following the incident, Ajasa expressed deep sorrow over the preventable loss of Professor Ademuyiwa and called on the Ogun State Government to take immediate action to prevent further fatalities. He highlighted that the lack of basic safety measures, such as speed breakers, has contributed to the road’s dangerous condition. Despite numerous appeals for such measures, the government has failed to act, installing speed bumps only on the Ilugun end of the road, but ignoring the needs of the Ajebo Road Housing Estate community.

Ajasa demanded the installation of speed breakers along Prof. Wole Soyinka Road, the addition of a lorry barrier, clearer traffic signage, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws to curb reckless driving in the area. He noted that another accident occurred just 24 hours after the professor’s death, reinforcing the road’s hazardous reputation.

The community is now holding the Ogun State Government accountable, urging Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene before more lives are lost. They are also calling on media outlets, civil society organizations, and Nigerians nationwide to amplify the demand for safer roads and justice for the victims of road accidents in the area.