Grace Adeleke
A man identified as AbdulBaki has reportedly been swept away by floodwaters while attempting to cross a flooded section of the road between Okolowo and Mandala communities in Kwara State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday as heavy rainfall caused floodwaters to rise rapidly around the route, with AbdulBaki caught in the strong current while attempting to cross.
As of Tuesday, his whereabouts remained unknown, with members of his family and other residents reportedly searching the area for him.
A video obtained from the area showed residents combing portions of the flooded route and surrounding waterways in an effort to locate the missing man.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of residents and motorists using the Okolowo–Alapa corridor, particularly following repeated flooding during the rainy season.
The affected route has become a major concern for residents following the collapse of the Moro Bridge, after which the Kwara State Government installed a makeshift container bridge as a temporary measure to facilitate movement.
Residents, however, have continued to complain that the intervention has failed to adequately address the flooding and transportation difficulties along the corridor.
One resident said the situation had become unbearable, alleging that even moderate rainfall was enough to render the route difficult or impossible to cross.
“This container bridge built by the government did not give us any solution to our problem here. Anytime little rain falls, all our community would be flooded. We are suffering too much in this community,” the resident said.
Another resident said the rising water frequently trapped commuters, traders and motorists for hours.
“Once rain starts, the water rises quickly and covers the road. People who are going to work, traders and drivers are all affected. Sometimes you have to wait for hours before you can cross,” the resident said.
The latest incident comes amid continuing concerns over the suitability of the temporary structure, especially given the volume of traffic using the route.
Articulated vehicles, tankers and trucks transporting agricultural produce reportedly ply the road, which connects communities in Kwara with parts of Oyo State and routes towards the Nigeria-Benin Republic border.
A civil engineer, Babatunde Abdulganiy, had previously warned that temporary container bridges could only provide a safe alternative if they were properly engineered and designed to accommodate floodwater and the expected traffic load.
According to him, adequate hydraulic clearance and sufficient waterway capacity are critical to the safety of such structures.
He warned that inadequate water passage could cause floodwaters to overtop or undermine a temporary bridge, potentially creating additional danger for road users.
The flooding crisis has also revived concerns over the prolonged delay in completing the permanent replacement for the collapsed Moro Bridge.
FG Orders Contractor Back To Site
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has reportedly directed the contractor handling the long-abandoned permanent replacement project for the Moro Bridge to return to site and resume construction.
The rehabilitation/reconstruction of the Moro and Ohan bridges on the Ilorin-Igbeti Road was awarded to Bilijoe + Berger Construction Limited.
The project, initiated around 2017, was initially valued at about N865 million, but subsequent cost adjustments reportedly pushed the allocation beyond N1.2 billion.
Reports indicate that the project remained incomplete for years despite payments to the contractor. BusinessDay had reported that more than N320 million was released to the contractor between 2018 and 2023.
The prolonged abandonment has left residents dependent on temporary interventions while exposing communities along the route to recurring flooding, disruption of economic activities and transportation difficulties.
The Kwara State Government has maintained that the Moro Bridge is a Federal Government project and that its interventions were temporary measures designed to keep traffic moving pending completion of the permanent structure.
In May 2026, the state government said its latest palliative intervention on the federal bridge cost N27 million, dismissing claims that it had spent N1.2 billion on temporary repairs.
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