Easter Gridlock: Travellers Stranded for Hours on Abuja-Lokoja Highway

A severe traffic gridlock has left many vehicles stranded for hours on the Abuja-Lokoja highway just before the Easter holidays.

The traffic buildup, which has become a recurring problem during festive seasons, trapped motorists on the busy road that connects the Federal Capital Territory to the North Central and southern parts of the country. A similar situation occurred in December, when some travellers reportedly spent up to four days in traffic.

Stranded motorists attributed the gridlock to driver impatience and the poor state of sections of the highway, which have been under construction for about two decades.

Abdu Yekeem, an Abuja-based worker heading to Ibadan, said he had experienced the same situation repeatedly. He noted that he had been unlucky to suffer the gridlock for the past two years while travelling home for Christmas and Easter.

Another motorist, Abayomi Adewale, claimed he had been on the road since Thursday afternoon after leaving Abuja for Ado Ekiti. As of Friday, he was still stuck at the River Niger bridge and said he would return to Abuja whenever he managed to get out of the gridlock.

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kogi State, Mohammed Gambo, blamed both the federal and state governments for the road’s condition. He said the road had been abandoned for 20 years due to inadequate funding and incompetent contractors. Gambo added that he spent seven hours travelling to Abuja on Thursday.

He described the highway as a major gateway linking the FCT to the North Central and parts of the South, serving food supplies, fuel distribution, and manufactured goods.

He warned that the situation would worsen as Easter travel intensifies, noting that many Nigerians would spend the holidays on the road. He called on senators and other lawmakers to push for urgent government intervention, saying the hardship had become too much.