Gully erosion has severed the major road leading to the Imo Zoo and Nekede town, its host community in Owerri, the capital city.
The incident, which happened on Monday night, caused serious commotion and panic among residents of the area, leaving many outgoing and incoming motorists stranded.
NAN reports that the situation was made worse by the lack of viable alternative routes to the community, located about 10 kilometres away from Owerri.
Some of the residents, who spoke in separate interviews with NAN, expressed worry over the development and urged Gov. Hope Uzodimma to urgently come to their aid.
A spokesman for the community, Mr Evans Anyawu said the community had long been abandoned by successive administrations in the state.
“Our community is in a terrible situation. The only road linking us to the city has collapsed.
“We don’t have any means of transporting our farm produce to the city, motorists, school children and tourists are stranded.
“We really need the governor’s urgent intervention,” he said.
A commercial bus driver, Mr Ikechukwu Ibe, said the road had suffered neglect for many years, leading to serious dilapidation.
Ibe wondered why the only road leading to Nekede, which is very close to Owerri, could be allowed by successive administrations in the state to deteriorate.
A tourist, Mr Clement Isaac, told NAN that the state would suffer huge economic losses if the government failed to intervene urgently.
“Imo zoo is the only surviving zoo in the entire South-East states. Governments cannot afford to abandon the major road linking Owerri to the facility,” Isaac said.
