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Heavy traffic has left motorists stranded for hours along the Abuja-Lokoja highway as Easter travel peaks, with commuters decrying the recurring congestion on the critical route.
Several motorists attributed the gridlock to reckless driving, impatience, and the poor state of sections of the highway, which have been under construction for nearly two decades.
A commuter, Abdu Yekeem, who was travelling from Abuja to Ibadan, said he had repeatedly encountered the situation during major holidays, noting that he had been stuck in similar traffic for the past two years while travelling home for Christmas and Easter.
Another traveller, Adewale, expressed frustration, saying he would only return to Abuja once the traffic eased.
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kogi State, Mohammed Gambo, blamed both federal and state authorities for the prolonged deterioration of the road. He said the project had suffered from years of neglect, poor funding, and mismanagement by contractors.
“The road has been abandoned for 20 years due to inadequate funding and incompetent contractors handling the project. I spent seven hours while travelling to Abuja on Thursday,” Gambo said.
Gambo described the highway as a vital economic route for the movement of food, fuel, and manufactured goods, warning that the situation could worsen as more people travel for the Easter holidays.
He called on lawmakers and relevant authorities to prioritise urgent intervention to ease the hardship faced by commuters.
