By Tony Adibe, Enugu
Some residents of Idaw-River Layout, Enugu have described as ‘a nightmare’ the Achina Street-College-Avenue T-Junction linking Umueze Ohachi Street/Upper Mount 4-Corner Junction also known as Nze Junction.
The roads are in Idaw River Layout in Enugu South Local Government Area within the Enugu capital territory, Enugu State, SouthEast, Nigeria.
The nightmarish description, they said, is as a result of the high rate of auto crashes involving pedestrians being knocked down by over-speeding vehicles plying the routes, particularly since the roads were well rehabilitated by the Governor Peter Mbah-led administration.
The smoothness of the roads makes it very tempting for reckless motorists to drive at neck-breaking speed, despite the fact that the roads are not expressways, the people claimed.
They specifically identified two flashpoints: One is the T-Junction where the Achina Street connects the College Avenue Road and leads to St. Gregory De Great Catholic Church and St. John’s Anglican Church premises at Idaw-River Layout. The two major churches, somehow, share the same entry point. The residents said another hotspot for road accidents in the area is the Umueze Ohachi Street/Upper Mount 4-Corner Junction otherwise, known as Nze Junction.
Residents interviewed by NewsBits expressed deep concerns for the increasing rate of auto crashes, which they claimed, happen every now and then in the area, causing loss of lives and leaving some victims seriously wounded. They said that they would want government to install speed bumps on the roads to reduce the menace of road crashes and save lives in the areas.
Just at about 8pm on Tuesday, 21 April, 2026, 9-years old Paloma Osinachi, a primary four pupil of Golden Academy, was attempting to cross the College Avenue Road. And like a bolt from the blue, a racing Tricycle allegedly without headlamps knocked Paloma down. “My wife heard a loud sound. She looked across the road and saw that the victim was our daughter, Paloma,” said Hon. Osinachi Udeh, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and resident of College Avenue, Idaw River, though an indigene of Ituku in Awgu LGA, Enugu State.
One shocking, and rather ominous aspect of the incident was that the same Tricycle was involved in a crash on the previous Sunday, 19 April, 2026. “He said he was involved in a crash on Sunday. Then on Tuesday, evening 21 April, he was involved in another road accident with the same vehicle. I told the young man (tricycle rider) to be very careful. I said if truly he had an accident on Sunday, and then another accident on Tuesday, he must be careful how he drives his vehicle,” Osinachi said in a chat with NewsBits.
However, Mrs. Osinachi raised an alerm that attracted people. Paloma was rushed to the Blessed Assurance Hospital, Ologo, Coal Camp, Enugu. Paloma had injuries on both knees, an internal cut in her lower jaw, bruises on the upper side of her right breast and on her right elbow, said her father.
The doctors at the hospital saw her case as critical because of the fear of an “unknown internal injury”, hence she was placed under a night observation to monitor her properly, according to Hon. Osinachi, who added that they were referred to the Memphis Hospital, Trans-Ekulu for X-ray but they later did the X-ray at the Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital, Uwani. The result of the X-ray, he said, would be out after three days. But Paloma was discharged in the evening of Wednesday as sympathisers continued to visit the family. One lesson Paloma’s father has learnt from the incident is that one ought to be “very careful about movement of children at night!”
Frightening Flashbacks
Some residents recalled that in February 2026, a fast-speeding Lexus car reportedly knocked down a boy who was going to Catechism class at the St. Gregory’s Catholic Church. “The vehicle hit him and he landed on the bonnet before dropping on the right side of the road. Had he landed in front, the car would have run over him,” recalled a female cement dealer, whose shop is near the junction where Achina Street connects the now dangerous College Avenue.
“I was baffled by the bad attitude of people who were busy filming the incident with their handsets rather than assisting the unfortunate boy. I quickly rushed to hold the boy. And he was bleeding profusely from his head and nose. Immediately, a neighbour, the manager of the BetKing Centre, Dr. Ogbodo came, with his car alongside the driver whose car hit the boy, and rushed him to hospital. He later survived,” said the cement seller. In March 2026, in the same vicinity, another speeding ash-coloured Lexus Jeep 350 knocked down another boy, forcing his neck to “shift to his right side”, according to Mrs. Precious, whose business centre is located at a shouting distance from the hotspot on the College Avenue.
“When this happened people around rushed to the scene and managed to “make the boy’s neck straight again before he was rushed to hospital with the driver whose car hit him,” she recalled pitiably. “I don’t know whether the boy survived or not because we don’t usually follow up the matters after the incidents occurred,” said Mrs. Precious.
After the defunct administration of Governor Sullivan Chime rehabilitated the College Avenue, and others in the area, no road traffic signs were installed or fixed to guide motorists and pedestrians.
There was no sign to indicate that churches with high population of worshippers such as St Gregory’s Catholic Church and St. John’s Anglican Church as well as other Pentecostal churches exist in the area. There was no sign to show motorists that schools such as the Idaw River Girls Secondary School with population of over 1,600 students and Idaw River Primary School that has close to 1,000 pupils are in the vicinity. Besides the Nursery and Primary Schools being run by the Catholic.
Church in the area, the neighbourhood boasts of some private schools. There is also a Presbyterian Church, a Pentecostal Church – The Holy Ghost City & Miracles Church located within the same area.
Residents recalled with grief that it was after a car that was overtaking another suddenly knocked two pedestrians into the gutter – a man and a girl – around the ‘Ukwu-Aki’ axis on the now notorious College Avenue, and subsequently another Jeep pinned down 10-years-old twin brothers – Nwaka Chikamso Joseph and Nwaka Chukwuemeka Solomon at one of the shops near the T-Junction, that the Catholic Church quickly mobilized and put several bumps on both the College Avenue Road and Achina Street to reduce accidents on the roads. All the speed bumps were scrapped and never replaced after the current administration of Governor Mbah rebuilt the roads.
When NewsBits visited No. 16, Ozalla Street, Idaw River Layout, a woman who said she is the mother of the twins, and identified herself as Mrs. Okpala Ijeoma, said that Joseph died while his twin brother, Solomon survived.
She said that the children were returning from Catechism class when the tragic incident occurred. Mrs. Okpala said that the driver of the vehicle that knocked the twins supported the family in paying part of the hospital bills.
“The children were not crossing the road. They were on Achina Street side of the T-Junction when the vehicle veered off the College Avenue Road and pinned them to someone’s shop. So, over-speeding and lack of concentration could have caused that accident,” she said.
She recalled that the twins were rushed to the Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital, and later to the Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre, Uwani, Enugu but unfortunately the doctors there said “the situation of the victim was irreparable and untreatable. Joseph later died and the remains were deposited at the mortuary there.” She said they later went to the ParkLane Specialist Hospital, GRA, Enugu where they spent over a month. They even went to one Divine Hospital and later to Memphis Hospital in Trans-Ekulu area to check if Solomon’s brain was affected by the accident.
According to her, she has burnt Joseph’s pictures and all his clothes which might serve as a reminder to the surviving twin to disengage them from each other. “Things about twin children are very deep, deeper than some people may know,” she said, adding: “If you are not a careful parent, the death of the other might affect his brother.” Since after the tragic incident, Mrs. Okpala said she stopped her children from attending Catechism. “Even me, I am always afraid crossing that T-Junction. I don’t allow them to go there except I am with them,” she said.
Mrs. Blessing Okamkpa is the mother of another victim of the auto-crash on the same T-Junction. Mrs. Okamkpa and her family reside at No. 4, Samuel Nnubia Street, Idaw River Layout. On 26 November, 2025, her 10-year- old son, Master Chiagozie Chukwujiofor was also attending Catechism class at St. Gregory’s Catholic Church when he was hit by a racing car at the T-Junction. He was rushed to the Maranatha Hospital at One-Day Bus-Stop, Garki area along Agbani Road, Enugu.
“The doctor said that my son was fortunate that the wound didn’t affect the brain,” Mrs. Okamkpa told NEWSBITSng.com in a chat. She said the driver supported the family in paying part of the hospital bill. She noted that after Chiagozie was discharged, and they were going from home to take treatment for three months, “I didn’t see or hear from the driver again.”
The story of the widow of 65-year-old Mr. Madukoro is so pathetic. Mrs. Madukoro said her husband, who was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver, was returning from the “Ash Wednesday” exercise where he had participated in the spiritual programe at the St. Gregory Catholic Church when the accident happened. “I attended the “Ash Wednesday” at another parish. Who knows if both of us had gone to the same St. Gregory and were returning the same time, what the story would have been?” said Mrs. Stella Madukoro, when NEWSBITS visited her at their number 44, Egbo Nnaji Street, Idaw River Layout.
According to Mrs. Madukoro, all efforts made to save her husband’s life were fruitless as several hospitals where he was rushed to, rejected him outright until they went to the Annunciation Hospital, Emene, where he breathed his last.
She said: “That night was wonderful and terrifying. They said when the car hit him, he landed on the bonnet and then on the ground and broke the back of his head. We first went to a hospital at Meniru Bus-stop but they said they couldn’t handle it. We rushed to Park-Lane Specialist Hospital, GRA, Enugu but they said they couldn’t treat him because there was no bed. Then we rushed him to the military hospital at the 82 Division of Nigerian Army. The military hospital told us that the doctor who would have attended to him was not in; that we should take him to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu. We rushed him to Orthopedic Hospital but there they also said they could not handle the case. They urged us to go to University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku. He was bleeding too much. We considered the long distance between UNTH and Orthopedic Hospital. We decided to rush to Annunciation Hospital, Emene which is not very far from Orthopedic. They tried their best to save his life and that was where he gave up.”
Mrs. Udeh Osinachi, whose shop is along the College Avenue, said she and her husband were driving home in their car when Madukoro and the girl were hit by the vehicle. Sadly, while the little girl survived, the man later died. “Both the man and the girl were walking on the roadside when the over-speeding car knocked them into the gutter and ran away. He was overtaking another vehicle and probably didn’t see the pedestrians early,” recalled Mrs. Udeh Osinachi. “I think government can reduce this challenge by putting speed breakers,” she said, adding that accidents happen a lot on this road. “How can I count them? What of those that might have occurred during my absence?” she asked. The Osinachis were the same persons the tricycle without headlamps nearly killed their only daughter on 21 April, 2026.
Calls For Speed Bumps, Road Traffic Signs
Asked what can be done to reduce or even stop the high rate of auto crashes in the area, almost all the people interviewed said similar things. The manager at BetKing game centre, located very close to the T-Junction, Dr. Ogbodo Ikechukwu said: “We need speed breakers on the College Road to reduce this menace of hitting innocent pedestrians before the situation worsens. When we consider the number of schools with high population; the number of churches with large populations; the number of other institutions like health centres, etc the government whose first constitutional duty is to save lives and property, should fix speed breakers and necessary road traffic signs to guide drivers plying the affected roads . This will save lives in the area.”
It is very important that moving vehicles should slow down before approaching the T-Junction, said Mrs. Okamkpa, who added: “We are begging Governor Peter Mbah to put for us Zebra Crossing, and other road traffic signs or warnings or caution to alert motorists and other the road users. What we are witnessing here is very unbelievable nightmare. We don’t want a situation where vehicles would kill five pedestrians at once before government can do the needful. However, we know Governor Mbah values lives of his citizens and residents. We also know he can be proactive in doing things.”
Ven. Dr. Davidson Udodi is the Vicar in-Charge of St. John’s Anglican Church, Idaw River. He said: “I support seriously the installation of speed bumps on the road to save lives. Here at St. John’s Anglican Church, we have Líon’s Grace Nursery and Primary Schools. Our pupils use the same College Avenue Road.”
The gateman at the residence of the Parish Priest of St. Gregory De Great, said: “I am always here. I see what happens on the College Avenue Road -the over-speeding of vehicles. You need to stay around and witness what is happening here. I’m in support of speed breakers to reduce the speed of vehicles and save lives of pedestrians,” he said.
A tricycle rider, who identified himself simply as Ike, said: “I believe Government has solution to the problem and I believe Government will look into the challenge and address it properly. There’s no problem that is beyond government, except the government hasn’t decided to solve it. There was a time residents couldn’t come out on Mondays. They called it sit-at-home. However, the government of Governor Peter Mbah solved that problem. Therefore, fixing speed breakers is not a challenge to the government. You will be surprised to know that the government may not know that pedestrians have lost their lives here due to careless and dangerous driving.”
A resident at Nze Junction, who preferred anonymity said: “All the vehicles that used to drive through Agbani Road are now plying the College Avenue Road because it helps them to avoid the traffic hold-up at Mayor Bus-Stop on Agbani Road. So you can now see why this road is busier nowadays.” Another resident whose food stuff shop is at Nze Junction area, who identified herself simply as mama Nkechi said: “We are happy that Governor Mbah has fixed the roads which other past governments neglected. We appreciate his works. But we are unhappy about what we are witnessing here in terms of frequent road crashes that leave people seriously wounded and vehicles damaged. We believe prevention is better than cure.”
Mrs. Okpala said: “That accident would not have happened if there were bumps on that road. The driver took the twins to the hospital and later reported himself to the police. He was not a hit-and-run driver. The government should put speed breakers to stop all these problems.”
The parish priest of St. Gregory with the parish Council and the pastor at St. John’s Anglican Church should be involved in dialoguing with government to find a lasting solution, according to Mrs. Okamkpa.
“If you are driving along Anang Street in the Ogui New Layout, Enugu just before Queens School, there are speed bumps which make drivers to slow down before approaching the school proper, said a resident at Nze Junction, who operates a chemist at the junction. He also said: “If you are driving to 82 Division Army Barracks, there are speed bumps; If you are driving to Ngwo to connect Ekochin Hospital at 9th Mile Corner, you will see many speed bumps. Ditto when you drive to the ESBS Bus-Stop, you will observe bumps shortly after NTA Channel 8, and the reason for the bumps is to save lives of pedestrians.” He quickly added: “Without the bumps, vehicles would have been hitting students of Queens School on a daily basis because some the drivers drive as if they are on hard drugs and have no value for anyone’s life,” he alleged. “Now tell me why the government that is proactive in doing things won’t build speed breakers on the College Avenue, that is not even a major road like Agbani Road or Zik Avenue or Ogui Road?” he asked.
When this journalist went to the Enugu State Ministry of Works & Infrastructure on Tuesday, 20 April, 2026 to ascertain the reason why there is no road traffic signs and speed bumps on the roads in question, the Hon. Commissioner, Engr Ben Osy Okoh said he was about going on inspection. He referred the journalist to one Engr. Dino, who works with him. “Since you’re so busy, Hon. Commissioner, I would rather send the few questions to your WhatsApp so that you, please, send me your answers.” He retorted: “See Engr. Dino and explain to him what you want.”
Upon meeting Engr. Dino, I told him about my brief encounter with the Hon. Commissioner. Engr. Dino advised me to send the same questions to his boss. I sent four questions to Engr. Okoh and also forwarded the same questions to Dino, hoping that the boss might ask his subordinate to answer them.
After waiting for several days without receiving any communication, I sent the commissioner a text message, hinting that if I didn’t receive any reply to the questions, I would file in in the report and publish. And that I wouldn’t be held responsible if the government/ministry of Works & Infrastructure reaction is missing in the report.
Upon reading the text, which was also forwarded to Engr. Dino, the Commissioner placed a call to me and took time to tongue lash me for threatening him. The time he would have used to answer one question, he used it to scold me for ‘threatening’ him.
I informed him that I didn’t threaten him. I never had threat in mind when I sent the text. He repeatedly shouted: “The fact that you are a journalist doesn’t give you license to threaten me.” I said: “I didn’t threaten you, sir.” But if I offended you with the text, let me apologise and hereby withdraw it so that we can make progress.” He hung up without allowing me to finish. I later sent him an apology text message on the same day.
However, as at the time of filing this report on Monday, 27 April, 2026, neither the Commissioner nor his aide, has replied to the questions. Each time I called both Engr. Okoh and Engr. Dino, would put my calls on “user busy.”
