TheCable

More than 100 trucks are currently trapped along the Okene-Auchi road, linking Kogi and Edo states.

The road, which spans a stretch of over 25 kilometres and is riddled with bad spots, also connects some south-eastern and south-southern states such as Edo, Delta, Anambra, Rivers and Imo.

The gridlock is said to have persisted on and off for over five weeks.

Speaking with TheCable, Usman Baba, one of the truck drivers who has spent three days on the road, said the situation is a sad one and needs urgent attention from the government.

“I’ve been on this road since Friday and I’m yet to pass through to my destination which is Onitsha in Anambra state,” he said.

“This road has been like this for over a month now and the government is not doing anything about it. Please, they should come to our rescue.”

Baba also said a boy who travelled with one of the trucks was recently crushed to death as a result of activities linked to the gridlock.

“A truck boy was crushed here some days ago. He was sleeping underneath the truck due to tiredness as there was complete standstill. Some moments later, a passage was created and movement started. People forgot to alert him and one of the trucks crushed him. He died instantly,” he narrated.

“It gets worse when it rains. We all have to wait for the road to dry up before any truck can pass through the bad spots.”

Residents of communities around the highway have also lamented the nightmare they have experienced as a result of the presence of so many vehicles within the area.

“They block entrance to our streets. They insult our brothers and sisters who sell on the roadside and don’t obey road safety officials deployed to manage the congestion,” Onimisi Abdulrahman, a resident, said.

“We find it hard to come out of our homes most times, as some of them will intentionally block the road. The other day, I was going to pick my elder brother coming into town late in the night. I had to take one of the worst roads out of our area to connect the expressway. That’s not fair on us. The government should find a lasting solution, so we can go back to our regular life.

“We’re not safe. Any of the trucks with gas or petrol can explode at any time due to an accident. The damage it will cause can’t be overemphasised.

“Some days ago, a tanker conveying petrol fell at one of the bad spots. Luckily, the content didn’t spill. But how long will this continue?”

The vehicles stranded on the highway include petrol tankers, gas tankers, diesel tankers, trucks conveying foodstuffs, as well as those carrying manufacturing materials.

Below are photos.

See a video of the situation on the road below.

VIDEO: Trucks stranded on Okene-Auchi highway due to bad roads@FMWHNIG @tundefashola @EdoStateGovt @OfficialGYBKogi pic.twitter.com/LUNSfl3U1t

— TheCable (@thecableng) July 19, 2021

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