Motorists, Commuters Stranded As Abuja-Lokoja Road Records Another Traffic Gridlock

Commuters and motorists have been stranded again on the ever-busy Abuja-Lokoja Highway, with its attendant hardship on the road users as the road experienced yet another traffic gridlock.

A resident of Koton-Karfe community, Shehu Yusuf, told our reporter that the gridlock which entered the second day on Monday, which was initially caused by the repair works on sections of the road, was worsened by a faulty truck on the better section of the road forcing commuters to seek alternative routes.

“The traffic gridlock was initially caused by the repair works going on in that area. But the situation was worsened by a broken-down truck,” he stated.

He added that motorists coming from Lokoja, Kogi State capital, were advised to take Tawari village bypass and connect the highway at Gegu village, while those coming from Abuja were equally advised to take Gegu bypass and link the highway at Tawari community to avoid the gridlock.

Speaking with our correspondent through telephone, another road user, Nuhu Isah, said: “We had to use bike to Karara on Sunday before getting a vehicle going to Abuja. It was said that a Dangote driver blocked the road and left the truck.”

Recall that commuters equally experienced the same situation during the Yuletide in December, 2025, forcing some travellers to spend their Christmas on the road.

A motorist, Emmanuel Emeka, called on the federal government to hasten the work on the all-important route, connecting the Noth and the southern part of the country.

“We are suffering on this road. We are appealing to the federal government to speed up the completion of this road. It has taken too much time,” Emeka stated.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Kogi State, Tenimu Yusuf Etuku, also attributed the gridlock to the ongoing construction work on some sections of the road and the attitude of some motorists.

According to him, broken down vehicles on the sections have also aggravated the problem.

He identified some of the flashpoints to include Ozi, Koton-karfe and around the Naval Base in Banda, where construction works were ongoing.

“As of now, we are doing everything possible to free the road. The gridlock is majorly caused by the construction works on some sections of the road. We alao have broken down vehicles on the road.

“The attitude of our road users is also a problem. When there is a broken down vehicle, before we could get there to remove the obstruction, the road would have been blocked by those who want to manoeuvre their ways. So, a process that should have taken us less than one hour will end up taking a whole day, leaving people stranded.

“This problem will be with us for some time until the construction works are completed,” he maintained.

The road contract was initially awarded by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, however, successive administrations have also given unachievable completion dates.