Travellers stranded, groan as trucks block Lokoja-Abuja highway (Video)

Commuters travelling to and from the nation’s capital, Abuja, were stranded overnight as two trucks reportedly belonging to a cement manufacturing company collided on the ever busy Murtala Mohammed Bridge, Jamata, Lokoja on the Abuja-Lokoja Highway.

The accident, which blocked the only operational lane on the bridge, occurred on Sunday, leaving travellers stranded on the dangerous route.

According to an eyewitness, the gridlock caused by the crash had extended to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, a distance of about 30 kilometres by Monday morning.

Our source said: “The accident happened on the Murtala Mohammed Bridge. One lane has been blocked for maitanace since last week and all vehicles were using the other side of the bridge. Two cement trailers collided on the bridge since yesterday and blocked the bridge. So, there was no alternative road.

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“The distance from the point to lokoja is about 30 kilometers and the traffic has gotten to Lokoja. All buses coming from all routes to Abuja can’t get to their destination as of now as a result of the traffic.”

A security operative contacted in Lokoja confirmed the development but informed Ripples Nigeria that the trucks have been removed, paving way for gradual movement of traffic.

He, however, said that it might take a while before traffic on the road would get back to normalcy.

A road transport operator, speaking on condition of anonymity on the Lokoja gridlock, called on government to check the menace of truck drivers by confining them to night trips only.

“Truck drivers have become a terror on our roads. We thought it was only a Lagos affair. It has become a national tragedy. They should be confined to night travels only,” he said.

The Abuja-Lokoja Highway has been notorious for kidnapping and armed robbery of recent, exposing travellers on the road to dangers posed by criminals.

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