Commuters and travellers in their thousands have been held at a standstill along the Abuja-Lokoja road in Kogi State.
Travellers in their numbers were held in the gridlock, which started immediately after Lokoja, stretching to a nearby town of Koton-Karfe, after the Niger Bridge.
According to reports, commuters have been held in the gridlock since 3p.m yesterday, and as of the time of filing this report, the road has not been cleared.
The gridlock, which started from the Lokoja axis of the Niger Bridge to the other end of the Bridge, made some travellers to abandon their vehicles. According to a source, who was also held-up in the gridlock, the situation was caused by flooding and a damaged articulated vehicle in Koton-Karfe.
A road user, identified as Segun Odunlami, lamented the situation, saying he has been in the gridlock since 4pm yesterday. Traveling from Lagos to Abuja, the aggrieved commuter said: “We were told flood covered the road in Koton-Karfe. The flood is responsible for the gridlock because vehicles are restricted to one lane; this is unbearable. I have never had this experience before in my life; we are just stuck here”.
Meanwhile, commercial motorcycles trying to make brisk business charged commuters between N2, 000 to N4, 000 to ferry them across the bridge.
Communities around the Niger Bridge are prone to perennial flooding.
