Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has expressed deep sympathy with world-renowned boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, following a tragic road accident that claimed the lives of two of his close friends who travelled with him to Nigeria.
In a statement issued to journalists in Abuja, the Senator described the incident as “heart-wrenching and unacceptable,” while lamenting the continued loss of lives on Nigerian highways due to poor safety enforcement and inadequate emergency response systems.
“My heart goes out to Anthony Joshua at this very painful time,” she said. “Losing two close friends in such a tragic manner is devastating. I pray that God grants him strength and comfort, and that the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.”
Beyond expressing sympathy, the Senator renewed her call for decisive national action on road safety, stressing that many accidents occurring across the country were preventable.
“Nigerian highways have become corridors of sorrow,” she stated. “This tragedy once again reminds us that road safety in Nigeria is not optional; it is a matter of life and death.”
She urged the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to intensify the enforcement of existing traffic regulations, noting that weak compliance and lax monitoring have contributed significantly to the rising number of fatal crashes nationwide.
“Rules without enforcement are meaningless,” the Senator said. “The Federal Road Safety Corps must be empowered and compelled to fully enforce road safety regulations across all highways in Nigeria, without fear or favour.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also called on the federal government to establish properly equipped vehicle rest-in stations and lay-bys along major highways to address fatigue-related accidents, especially among long-distance drivers.
“No driver should be forced to drive endlessly without a safe place to rest,” she noted. “Well-equipped vehicle rest stations must be deliberately created across our highways to reduce exhaustion-induced crashes.”
In addition, the Senator advocated the creation of a dedicated Highway Emergency Rescue Team, equipped with ambulances, trauma care facilities, and rapid response personnel to attend to accident victims promptly.
“Many lives are lost not only because of accidents, but because help does not arrive on time,” she said. “Nigeria urgently needs a functional highway emergency rescue system that can respond within minutes, not hours.”
She urged policymakers to treat road safety as a national emergency, stressing that meaningful reforms would save thousands of lives annually.
“This tragedy should not be another headline we forget tomorrow,” Akpoti-Uduaghan added. “It must be a turning point for serious highway safety reforms in Nigeria.”
She further reaffirmed her commitment to advocating legislative and policy measures that prioritise the safety of Nigerians on the nation’s roads.
