The Ifẹ-Ilẹsa expressway, once a reliable route for travelers between the Southeast, Ondo State and Osun State has now gained a disturbing reputation for armed robbery, assault, and violence leaving residents and road users in fear.
Social media has become a battleground of voices demanding urgent action, following a viral tweet by Medayese, popularly known as the Duke of Ijesa where he lamented the growing insecurity
He said “Ifẹ-Ilẹsa expressway has become notorious for armed robbery incidents. They rob and rape their female victims. Security agencies need to step in, to put an end to this.”
The tweet ignited a wave of responses from other concerned citizens. One user, Dr. Varies said “I’m even scared to use the road now,” while Medayese himself admitted, “The place dey always give me BP”
Rọ̀là (@alimi_a_tariQ) recounted a chilling story from a past traveler who survived an attack
He said “That nonsense started about two years ago and one time met a victim on my way to Abuja.
He said those guys aren’t random robbers; they are trained. He relived how their bus was shot at the wheels around 1am from a distance of over 100 meters. Just one bullet fell the bus.”
The escalating situation has left many shocked, including Opeyemi (@Opeyemi_Nitemi), who expressed disbelief saying “Omoo, when did this one start? Used to be on that road even as late as 9pm sometimes, and we’d still get home safely. This is sad 💔🤦🏽♀️.”
However, beyond fear, accusations of potential security complicity emerged as Ajayi Oluwaseun (@lordseun26) shared a disturbing memory saying “Hope the security agencies are not complicit too. I could remember some years back when passing the road, we met a MOPOL roadblock where one of them was threatening us that if we didn’t give them money, he would attack us and nothing would happen.”
In another emotional account, Sam (@SamuelOLorunda) narrated his close encounter stating that “I almost ran into them with my family coming from Ife. God just delivered me. Security agencies should help us, especially Ilesa axis.”
The chorus of distress paints a clear picture as residents and commuters are living in fear, and trust in security agencies is waning.
The Federal Government, Osun State Government and Critical enforcement bodies are now under pressure to restore safety to the road and reassure the public.
The question remains: how soon will action come and at what cost if it doesn’t?
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