ROAD RAGE: Anxiety over rising cases of violence on highways

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Gboyega Alaka takes a look at what seems like an increasing spate of anger and violence on highways, and factors that could be responsible.

It was one of the most bizarre stories of the out-gone year 2022. 26-year-old man, Adeyemi Babatunde, in a feat of extreme anger brazenly rode over another man, Ismail Obafunsho, 46, who had insisted on him coming down from his Lexus Jeep to inspect the damage he had inflicted on his car, which he had bashed from behind; killing him instantly and in the full glare of onlookers.

The incident, according to media reports, had occurred on December 8, 2022, but for some inexplicable reasons, did not make the headlines until over two weeks later - December 22, when it went virile and eventually made newspaper headlines. Why it took so long, no one could explain.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the deceased, Obafunsho, had come down from his car after the collision and asked the suspect, Babatunde to come down to assess the extent of damage, but the suspect refused to come down from his vehicle and was instead making efforts to drive off.

This, Oyeyemi said, infuriated the deceased who insisted he came down, and consequently sat on his bonnet. But rather than be sober, the suspect only came down to issue a warning to the deceased to come down from the bonnet if he didn't want to lose his life.

Subsequently, the PPRO said: 'He then went back to the car, and drove at high speed which made the deceased fall down from the car, and the car ran over him. Not satisfied, the suspect also reversed the vehicle and ran over the deceased again to ensure that he actually died.

'After completing the act, he ran away with the vehicle'

Thankfully, he was traced to his father's house at Kemta, Idi Aba area of Abeokuta on the 20 of December, where he was arrested.

While that incident may come across as extreme, incidences of road rage, leading to violent clashes and actions on Nigerian roads are by no means rare.

He shot my daughter on the leg because I resisted him from overtaking me

A couple of weeks back, a listener had called in on a local radio station which transmits in Yoruba Language, 101.3FM, to contribute to a topic: 'Action I regret most.'

According to the caller, whose name this writer can no longer recall, he was driving on a Lagos highway some years back with his daughter in the car, when suddenly, he noticed a vehicle, whose driver was driving at an extremely high speed and rather recklessly, and desperate to overtake him.

'Surprised and taken aback by the manner in which the driver driving, I decided to ensure he didn't overtake me; hence every effort he made, being a really good driver myself, I blocked.

'However, rather than calm down, I realised that the driver got more desperate and it occurred to me that we could be heading for a fatal accident; so, I stepped on my brake, slowing down in the process and hoping he'd just overtake me and go his way. But instead, he got in my front, slowed down and then stopped, blocking me from moving in the process. That was when I realised they were many in the car.

'Suddenly, one of them came to the side of my car and asked, angrily, why I was blocking their way. I tried to explain to him that their driving was too dangerous and it was my way of cautioning them, but rather than take it his stride and go their way, he said he would teach me a lesson I'd never forget. Then he brought out a gun, shot my daughter in the leg, got in their car and drove away.

'It was something I never expected and I was really devastated.

'Through the help of other road users, we were able to rush the child to a nearby hospital in Gbagada, where he was treated. Till date, the girl limps and every time I see her, I am driven to years and full of regret for my action. It also made me vow never to get involved in any road skirmish again. Now, if I notice anyone desperate to overtake me or driving recklessly, I simply slow down to let them have their way or even move aside to give them passage,' the caller finished off.

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