Travellers heading south were left stranded for hours on the Lokoja–Abuja expressway after a severe traffic gridlock brought movement to a complete halt. Vehicles were barely moving along a stretch of less than five kilometres, with many commuters stuck in the same spot for over four hours.
Passengers, including families with children, described the situation as exhausting and frustrating. Some said drivers had no choice but to switch off their engines and wait, as the road remained completely blocked. Long queues of vehicles stretched as far as the eye could see, with no clear sign of when traffic would ease.
An affected passenger told SaharaReporters that although security operatives from the DSS and the military were present, their focus appeared to be on forcing their superiors’ convoys through the gridlock rather than easing traffic for the general public. According to the passenger, ordinary motorists were largely ignored as the congestion worsened.
Road users blamed the chaos on ongoing road construction and the absence of contractors, who were said to have abandoned the site for the festive season without providing traffic control, diversions, or alternative routes. The gridlock occurred at the peak of festive travel, raising concerns about safety risks such as fatigue, accidents, and exposure to criminal activities.
Many commuters described the experience as dehumanising, lamenting the lack of traffic officials or emergency responders on ground. The incident has once again drawn attention to the persistent neglect of the Abuja–Lokoja expressway, a route that has repeatedly trapped travellers for hours during peak travel periods.
