Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Muhammad Gobir, has condemned the rising number of fatal accidents on the state’s highways, blaming them on rampant over speeding and the reckless overloading of passengers and goods by commercial drivers.
Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of the State Road Safety Advisory Council in Government House, Gobir, who chairs the council, described the situation as “a national tragedy” that is wiping out entire families and leaving communities in mourning.
“This madness on our roads must stop.
“We cannot stand by while innocent citizens are slaughtered daily because of greed, lawlessness, and disregard for safety,” he said.
Gobir warned that the state government would no longer tolerate commercial vehicles carrying both passengers and goods in a single trip, calling the practice a “deadly gamble” that turns highways into mass graves.
He pledged stricter enforcement of road safety laws, with penalties including heavy fines, arrests, and licence suspensions for offenders.
Other council members, including the Commissioners for Justice, Transport, Finance, and Health, and the Director General of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), echoed the call for urgent reforms, tougher enforcement, and public awareness campaigns to address the crisis.
The State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Umar Adamu Argungu, condemned the “deadly culture” of overloading, describing it as a death trap for unsuspecting passengers.
He announced plans to deploy more patrol teams, speed-detecting devices, and mobile courts to prosecute offenders, with special attention to notorious accident-prone routes.
The council resolved to form a joint government-stakeholder task force to monitor compliance and clamp down on dangerous driving practices.
Gobir closed with a warning: “We will not allow our roads to remain slaughter slabs. Enough is enough. Those who value profit over human life will have no place in our transport system.”
