Delta Community Blames Abandoned Agbor–Amukpe Road for Kidnapping Crisis

The Abavo community in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State has cried out over the abandonment of the Agbor–Amukpe road dualisation project, lamenting that its 10-year neglect has turned the highway into “a kidnapper’s perfect hunting ground” and paralysed economic life in the region.

At a press conference held on Friday at the Abavo Town Union Hall, the President-General of Abavo Clan Union, Justine Onyeibe, said the contract for the road was awarded in two sections in 2014, with Messrs CCECC handling the Agbor–Amukpe stretch. According to him, while contractors were mobilised between 2015 and 2016, work has long been abandoned.

“The terrible, potholed, single-lane stretches, often reduced to a muddy track during rains, is not just an inconvenience; it is the single greatest enabler of criminal activity in our region,” Onyeibe declared before traditional rulers, community leaders, and the media.

He explained that the highway’s collapse has worsened insecurity, making commuters “sitting ducks for ambush,” while overgrown bushes created hideouts for kidnappers. “This abandoned project has inadvertently designed a security nightmare. Every crater-filled stretch is a potential trap. Every overgrown bush… provides cover for men with guns and evil intentions,” he warned.

Onyeibe further decried the devastating economic impact of the road’s neglect, saying that agricultural produce such as yam, cassava, plantain and tomatoes now rot in heaps by the roadside because farmers cannot reach distant markets. He described the project as “a covenant with the people” that must be urgently completed.

“The dualisation of this road is nothing short of a revolution for Abavo,” he said. “It will slash transport costs, attract agro-investors, create jobs for the youth, and transform Abavo from a bypassed town into a commercial hub. Beyond economics, this road means quicker access to healthcare facilities in the cities, safer travel for our children, and a better standard of living for our people.”

Appealing to the Federal Government to intervene, Onyeibe said the road was more than just a project but “a promise of prosperity, growth and development” for Abavo. He also called on the media to act as watchdogs and amplifiers of the community’s struggle to ensure that the abandoned road is finally completed.