Travellers heading south were caught in a massive gridlock on the Lokoja–Abuja axis, with vehicles barely moving over a stretch of less than five kilometres. Commuters said the congestion slowed traffic to a crawl, causing delays for hours.
Many travellers are currently trapped in Lokoja following hours of a heavy traffic jam.
SaharaReporters understands that the traffic standstill has lasted for over four hours along Lokoja-Abuja expressway, leaving many passengers, including children, stranded and unable to continue their journeys. Vehicles reportedly remained stationary, with drivers and commuters growing increasingly frustrated as time passed.
One of the affected passengers told SaharaReporters that although security agencies, including personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and soldiers, were present at the scene as of the time of filing this report, they appeared more concerned with clearing the way for their superiors than easing the situation for other road users.
"The DSS, soldiers are all here but they are only trying to force their bosses convoy through, they are not clearing the way to make it free for every other motorist to pass through," the passenger said.
In December 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway had been blocked for days, leaving thousands of travellers stranded for several hours on the busy highway.
The situation exposed what commuters described as official denial and infrastructural neglect at the peak of the Christmas travel season.
Travellers heading south were caught in a massive gridlock on the Lokoja–Abuja axis, with vehicles barely moving over a stretch of less than five kilometres. Commuters said the congestion slowed traffic to a crawl, causing delays for hours.
Road users described the situation as chaotic, exhausting, and dehumanising, lamenting the absence of traffic officials, emergency responders, or contractors at the scene. Vehicles appeared stranded in long lines, with some motorists forced to abandon their cars temporarily to seek assistance or basic necessities.
The gridlock occurred at the height of festive travel. Many travellers reported growing concerns about the risks posed by prolonged traffic jams, including accidents, fatigue, and increased vulnerability to criminal activities.
Several motorists blamed the crisis on ongoing road construction and the apparent disappearance of contractors, who eyewitnesses said had shut down operations and travelled for Christmas without providing traffic control, diversions, or temporary relief routes.