Passengers travelling to and from the North through Lokoja-Abuja highway were on Sunday held in a gridlock on Gegu-Koton Karfe section of the road.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the gridlock started on Saturday evening as a result of an accident involving two articulated vehicles.
The heavy downpour, which lasted about six hours in the day, also compounded the situation, thereby rendering the road impassable, forcing many motorists to sleep in the traffic.
Some motorists, who spoke to NAN, decried their situation and blamed their stars for choosing the day to embark on the journey.
Also, many vehicles conveying newspapers from Abuja to Lokoja arrived around 3pm when many vendors had departed their stands.
The Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps at Koton Karfe, Isaac Nzapsima, said the gridlock was largely caused by the accident of the two articulated vehicles.
Nzapsima confirmed that the gridlock had lasted more than 24 hours but that the two obstructing trailers had been removed from the road.
He said the FRSC had also stationed officials at Gegu to control movement of vehicles going to and from Abuja.
“The gridlock is gradually easing and normal traffic movement will soon be restored,” he said.
Nzapsima, an Assistant Corps Commander, expressed the hope that the gridlock will completely disappear by Monday morning, but pleaded with motorists to show understanding.
NAN.
