The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has warned that broken-down vehicles and roadside drying of farm produce will no longer be tolerated on federal highways, following a fatal accident involving a vehicle linked to boxing star Anthony Joshua along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Umahi, who expressed deep condolences to Anthony Joshua and the families of the two persons who lost their lives in the accident, said preliminary findings showed that illegal parking of trucks on the highway contributed to the crash.
According to the minister, the tragedy was avoidable and highlighted the dangers posed by indiscriminate parking and other unlawful activities on major roads.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Works has resolved to enforce its earlier directive banning the parking of vehicles, especially trucks, on federal highways.
Umahi announced that from February 2026, a special task force made up of officers from the ministry and relevant security agencies would be deployed to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
“The ministry is working with highway safety and security agencies to ensure that no broken-down vehicles are allowed to remain on the highway, and no individuals are permitted to use the roads to sun-dry their farm produce,” he said.
The works minister also described the recent fire incident at Balogun Market in Lagos, which claimed several lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira, as devastating. He expressed sadness over the incident and condoled with families who lost loved ones and means of livelihood.
Umahi, however, expressed optimism that the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government would collaborate to cushion the effects of the tragedy on affected victims.