Holiday: Lagos gets its groove back as residents return

The relative quietness experienced in Lagos State during the Christmas and New Year holidays has come to an end as residents are returning to the state after the festivities.
The vibrance and the hustle and bustle the state is known for are back.
It was observed during the festivities that major roads in the state that usually experience traffic jams were free of heavy vehicular movement as most residents had travelled to their villages and other destinations outside the state to spend their holidays.
Residents who stayed back said they had a swell time as they visited cinemas, beaches and other fun spots with ease.
Monica Joseph, a resident, said she had a splendid time visiting cinemas, something she could not do all the while due to her tight job schedule and heavy traffic.
Joseph said: “My family and I had fun during the holiday in Lagos.
“We could not travel to our state in Kogi so we decided to stay back in Lagos.
“There was no traffic jam so this allowed us to drive from one fun spot to the other with ease.
“We had a wonderful holiday in Lagos.”
The smooth, easy ride experienced during the holidays has however given way to the hustle and bustle Lagos is known for.
This followed the return of residents as it was observed over the weekend that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was a nightmare as passengers on the route to Lagos State were held up on the road for hours due to the heavy traffic on the road.
A passenger, Shade Oyeniji, said she spent more than four hours on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday.
Oyeniji said: “Our vehicle left Ibadan about 11am on Saturday but when we approached the Redemption Camp, there was the heavy traffic and it was as if everybody in Nigeria was moving to Lagos.
“There were many vehicles on the road to Lagos but after we managed to pass the traffic at Ibafo, our driver and others left the Expressway and found a dusty road, through which they manouvered until we got to Berger Bus Stop in Lagos.
“This was about 4.21pm.
“It was a terrible dusty and bumpy journey.”
It was gathered that the heavy traffic continued till midnight, with the police and soldiers on the road to prevent robbery attacks.