We almost lost our lives to cows of terror – Motorists

Sola Dickson was lucky to have arrived home alive after the close of work on June 13, 2013.

With home on her mind, she left her place of work few kilometers away from Berger, Lagos in her red Kia Rio car.

It was around midnight.

She recalled that the journey was smooth until she saw what seemed like someone ahead pointing a torch in her direction. Before she knew it, Sola was almost running into a herd of cows.

She said she had to make a sharp maneouvere and managed to escape running into the herd and possibly losing her life.

“I had my heart in my mouth all through the remaining part of my journey home that night. My blood pressure rose. You know I had never seen something like that before and I just started plying that route months back.

“I had a special duty to attend to in the office, which kept me back till very late. But even when I suddenly realised that the flashing torch was from a herdsman, I got more engulfed by fear of the weird-looking horns of the massive creatures.

“I don’t think this is proper at all.”

Saturday PUNCH’s chat with motorists plying different highways showed that regular travellers on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near Berger-Ojodu-Agege have more to worry about once it is midnight.

Apart from the notoriety associated with the long bridge between Kara and Wawa, there is also the danger of running into herds of cattle, which are being taken on a grazing walk from time to time.

Many motorists have almost died on the road while many were not so fortunate.

But for providence which worked for Mr. Wale Ewedemi few weeks ago, perhaps he would have joined his ancestors. Ewedemi, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, said while he was driving home from office on that particular day, he did not envisage any obstruction on the highway. So, he maintained a speed limit that allowed him to take advantage of the road. But, before he got too comfortable with the ride, he suddenly noticed flashing torchlights less than 100 metres away.

He said, “It was God that saved me that day. My SUV would have veered into the gully partitioning the highway. When I saw the flashing lights, I removed my foot from the throttle and peered throw the windscreen to factor out what was happening. “It was almost too late when I made out a herd of cattle ahead on the highway. The herdsmen were trying to clear them to one side of the road.

“I swerved to avoid hitting any of the cattle. My vehicle tyres stepped on their dung and the SUV skidded, almost flying over the culvert. I was able to restore control and continue my journey home. It was few minutes after 1am then.

“It was a very dangerous and horrifying experience. Cows are now our greatest dread on the highways. The government should do something to address the menace because some people may not be as fortunate.”

John Adewale is a businessman whose office is in Ikeja, Lagos. Due to the nature of his work, he closes late and has to travel from his office in Ikeja to his home at Ladipo on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

Around midnight two years ago, he was racing home in his new Hyundai car when he unknowingly ran into two cows at Shogunle bus-stop, a few metres from home.

He noticed that the men herding the cows ran towards his car menacingly, with their sticks raised.

His instincts immediately told him that they would pound him to death if they caught up with him.

So, he managed to reverse his damaged car and swerved into the opposite lane before escaping to a police station.

“Other motorists who witnessed the scene were too petrified to do anything. Some even joined me in fleeing.

“I had never seen such a thing before. These herdsmen did not care that they allowed their cows to stray to the expressway and exposed motorists to danger.

“So, their cows were of more interest to them than my car and my life? I was so angry at what happened but there was really nothing I could do.

“I drove to a police station and reported the matter. But by the time we got to the scene, the herdsmen had fled with their cows,” he said.

Another motorist, Mrs. Kelechi Anayo, recalled her encounter with herds of cattle on her way from a trip. In a tone that betrayed how she escaped by a whisker, she said she had left Ibadan slightly late and hoped to be in Berger by midnight.

But just as she approached Berger, she suddenly noticed a flashing torch.

In an instant, fear gripped her as she thought it could be armed robbers.

She said, “I was so afraid. I slowed down and drove carefully in the direction of the torch. The person holding it was directing me to move over to the other lane.

“Getting closer, I saw over 20 cows. I could have run into them and died instantly.

“In fact, I learnt that the herdsmen would readily kill whoever runs into their cattle. Can you imagine a woman driving alone at that time having to tackle armed herdsmen?

“It is a very bad trend and should be stopped before something catastrophic happens? Is the highway meant for vehicles or cattle?”

A journalist, Abiodun Latuni, related a gory sight he once saw at Fagba area of Lagos. He said he had just left a party around 5am on Saturday morning and was getting closer to his house when he saw some huge objects lying on the tarmac. On a closer look, he realised that two cows had been knocked down by a red sedan.

He said, “The car, which was in a bad shape, had been moved away from the road, few metres away from the scene of the accident. But there were two lifeless cows lying on the road.

“It is not clear if the driver or other occupants of that car survived the accident. I was not there when it happened, so I didn’t know if the accident could have been avoided. All I know is that if the occupants did not die, the herdsmen may have either maimed or killed them and left.

“That is their custom. They litter the highways with the animals and you dare not hit any of them or you would be as good as dead. They are believed to value their animals more than human lives. It is unfortunate though.”

Many other motorists and road users told Saturday PUNCH how they had come across herds of cows on highways across the country.

They also complained about the aggressiveness of the herdsmen, who insist that motorists dim their headlamps when approaching the cows. It was learnt that bright light could turn the cows violent.

It was observed that apart from grazing purposes, the daily routine movement of the cows is for them to graze and be sold to abbatoirs.

There is the belief that these animals can be moved about in a better way.

A number of Lagosians said they were worried that the trend had persisted despite the state’s law against stray animals.

The government had said last year that it would prosecute the owners of such animals. It also promised to send marshals to its 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas as part of its stray animal control policy to put an end to the problem.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Gbolahan Lawal, said that through the Stray Animal Control Policy Committee, the state would put an end to the menace.

He said, “In spite of government’s awareness campaign on the danger posed by stray animal in the society, the menace is still on the rise.

“Apart from causing accidents on roads, it could also lead to the spread of diseases such as anthrax, rabbies, tuberculosis and other ailments.”

Lawal also warned that the culture of releasing cattle at night along major roads in the state would no longer be tolerated.

But will this law work in the case of people deliberately using the highways as means of transporting cows at night?

The Lagos State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nseobong Akpabio, said the trend is against the National Road Traffic Regulations 2004 and 2013.

He added that there should be a dedicated route for the cattle.

He said, “What they are doing is absolutely wrong. The FRSC Act, National Highway Act, Lagos State Traffic Law and other regulations prohibit the illegal blockage of the road or causing obstruction on the road. FRSC over the years has been on a national campaign with the leadership of cattle rearers on how best they should move their animals to avoid causing problems on the roads.

“A recommendation on the creation of dedicated routes to enhance cattle movement is the main issue.”

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, in a recent interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the herdsmen were worse than Boko Haram insurgents.

He said the herdsmen and their cattle constitute a nuisance to Nigerians and called on the Federal Government to take serious steps to stop the movement of cows on the highways.