On Wednesday, 2 July 2025, hundreds of members from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Kwara State held a demonstration to protest the removal of speed humps along the Oko-Olowo section of the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway.

Supported by local residents, the demonstrators criticised a federal contractor's decision to remove the safety humps during highway rehabilitation, cautioning that this has caused a spike in deadly road accidents.

The protesters displayed placards with slogans such as "Stop killing us in Oko-Olowo," "Restore speed humps immediately," and "Our lives matter," urging the swift reinstatement of the safety measures.

The protest was led by RTEAN Chairman Alhaji Abdulrahman Onikijipa, alongside NURTW's Alhaji Abdulrasaq Ariwoola, who noted that the speed humps had significantly curbed accidents prior to their removal.

Onikijipa stated, "These were critical safety structures, established after extensive consultations with the Kwara State government. Despite the road being under federal control, the state intervened to save lives. We cannot stand idly by as our members and commuters face mortal danger."

He accused the federal contractor of removing the bumps without consulting the public or providing any alternative safety measures and called on the federal government to act swiftly, warning that transport unions would be forced to escalate their agitation.

Ariwoola, represented by NURTW State Secretary Mr. Aliyu Rasheed, added that the unions would continue peaceful protests if their concerns were not addressed. He called for the construction of overhead bridges and pedestrian walkways as long-term solutions.

"We have recorded avoidable deaths. The speed breakers were working. Their removal without replacements is reckless. We're appealing to the federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene," Ariwoola stated.

The unions stressed that while they remain law-abiding, they would not hesitate to sustain pressure until action is taken to safeguard lives on the busy expressway.