Friends of Alaka N. Zogbaye and concerned citizens in Gbarnga, Bong County, have petitioned the Government of Liberia and the Federation of Road Transport Unions of Liberia (FRTUL) following his death in a fatal motor accident on September 5, 2026, along the Monrovia-Gbarnga Highway.
The petition demands a thorough investigation into Zogbaye’s death and accountability where evidence proves negligence, reckless driving, or other violations of Liberian law.
According to the group, the campaign goes beyond Alaka’s death and seeks to address Liberia’s alarming road safety crisis. Citing Liberia National Police figures, the petition states that 1,564 road crashes were recorded in 2025, resulting in 236 deaths and 992 injuries, while 478 crashes between January and March 2026 alone claimed 71 lives and left 309 injured.
The petitioners are calling for stronger accountability in the commercial transport sector, including continuous driver training and strict enforcement against speeding, dangerous overtaking, reckless driving, overloading, and driving under the influence.
They further urge authorities and transport operators to ensure all commercial vehicles are properly maintained, and that vehicles with serious mechanical defects are taken off the road until repaired and certified.
The group also wants urgent safety interventions along the Monrovia-Gbarnga corridor and other accident-prone highways, such as improved road markings, warning signs, speed controls, street lighting, pedestrian protection, and enhanced traffic monitoring.
In addition, they are demanding improved accident investigation, public reporting of crash data, identification of major accident hotspots, and the establishment of a multi-stakeholder Road Safety Task Force comprising government institutions, transport unions, local authorities, and other stakeholders.
The petition gives the Government, Liberia National Police, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Works, the Road Safety Secretariat, FRTUL, and other relevant authorities 60 days to show concrete action and respond.
The petitioners emphasized that their campaign remains peaceful and is not intended to incite violence or retaliation. However, they warned that they may organize broader civic actions if their demands are not addressed, stressing that Alaka’s death must become a turning point for justice, accountability, and safer roads for all Liberians.