Worn-out and frustrated commuters have berated the Ogun State Government for what they described as a slow and inadequate response to a petrol tanker explosion that caused a two-day gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The gridlock, which began around 11 a.m. on Wednesday following a fuel tanker explosion near the NASFAT corridor of the expressway, lingered into Thursday, leaving passengers and motorists stranded for hours.
When Punch Metro monitored the situation around 1 p.m. on Thursday, traffic was still at a standstill in Ogun State, starting from the Mobil Filling Station just after Arepo.
Meanwhile, traffic into Lagos from Magboro was moving freely.
Travellers heading from the Sagamu Interchange into Lagos were particularly affected, with many trapped for several hours just before the incident site.
At the Berger Bus Stop, transport fares skyrocketed as commercial bus operators exploited the situation.
Some commercial drivers abandoned their usual routes and began driving against traffic, worsening the situation.
Several buses plying the Lagos-Ibadan route dropped off passengers midway, including one that left this reporter and others at Magboro, citing worsening conditions and choosing to turn back to Lagos instead.
A motor boy, Chinedu, who was caught in the chaos, criticised the Ogun State Government for its slow intervention.
“This is what happens whenever traffic issues occur on the Ogun State corridor of the expressway. They will be waiting for the Federal Government to come and rescue the situation.
“If this had happened on the Lagos side, LASTMA and other emergency agencies would have cleared the obstruction swiftly. But in Ogun, they don’t respond on time,” he said.
A commercial bus driver, who identified himself as Sola, echoed Chinedu’s frustration, urging the state government to be more proactive.
“There was nearly a similar incident at the Otedola Bridge in Lagos. The explosion happened at night, and by the next morning, the road was clear for free movement.
“But in Ogun, an incident that happened yesterday (Wednesday) is still blocking the road today (Thursday). Passengers are suffering for it. It’s just irresponsible,” he said.
A traveller, Damola Olaniyi, who had been trapped in the traffic since early Thursday morning, described the situation as “sad and frustrating.”
“I got to the motorway at 5 a.m., hoping it would have been cleared overnight, but by noon, nothing had changed.
“There’s no traffic controller here. Everyone is just struggling to find a way through,” he lamented.
Another affected commuter, a corps member identified only as Olamide, told PUNCH Metro that her bus had been stuck in traffic for over four hours.
Olamide noted, “I left Sagamu at about 10 a.m., and we spent more than four hours in that traffic. The only relief came after the NASFAT area. The burnt tanker was still on the road when we passed it. We even saw smoke still rising from it.
“There was no one there attending to the situation. I couldn’t understand why it hadn’t been cleared since yesterday.”
Other commuters and motorists who spoke with our correspondent said they had spent several hours covering short distances and wished they could abandon their vehicles altogether to continue their journeys on foot.
A commuter who left Arepo at 7:00 am said he was still not in Ibafo by 9:15 am, a stretch that usually takes five minutes.
Another road user, Mr. Dele Ayeni, who was driving his private vehicle to Ibadan, said he had been stuck for over three hours.
“We heard yesterday (Wednesday) that the fire was brought under control. So, why are we still here today? I think the authorities have abandoned us,” he said.
A commercial bus driver, Rafiu Alamu, who plies the Berger-Mowe route daily, expressed frustration with the situation.
“This kind of suffering is too much. I entered this expressway at 6:30 am and it’s now past 10 (on Thursday). I haven’t even completed one trip. No official is here to direct traffic. Everyone is just fending for themselves.”
Passengers inside Alamu’s bus had also run out of patience. Many stepped out to stretch their legs, fanning themselves with anything they could find.
A visibly pregnant woman sitting by the window leaned out for fresh air, muttering, “Only God will save us in this country.”
At various points along the crowded expressway, weary hawkers who typically make brisk sales during heavy traffic expressed mixed feelings.
One hawker, a teenage boy selling sausage rolls popularly called Gala, said he had made enough sales. “No be small money I don see since morning. I just pity people wey dey inside the traffic.”
Social media users also took to various platforms to vent their frustration.
@Ay_bkini said, “It’s crazy that in 2025, a fire incident involving multiple trailers/cars on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which occurred yesterday is still causing traffic the next day. I had to turn back because we didn’t even know when the road would be accessible. A work day lost because of incompetence.”
@Ridwanullahii said, “We have terrible emergency management in this country. Only Lagos State has the capacity to respond to an emergency with immediate effect. Because, how do you tell me a tanker fell since yesterday on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and it’s still causing traffic this morning? The irresponsibility is annoying.”
Some commuters also questioned the speed and effectiveness of the emergency response.
A passenger, Mr. Obinna Nwachukwu, said the government should have deployed heavy-duty equipment to quickly clear the wreckage.
“How can a country like Nigeria leave a major expressway like this blocked for almost 24 hours?” he asked.
In the original report on Wednesday, it was noted that the tanker, which was laden with petrol, had overturned before bursting into flames near the NASFAT Camp.
The explosion led to panic, with thick black smoke engulfing the air and vehicles getting trapped in a resulting gridlock stretching several kilometres.
Attempts by some motorists to escape the traffic by driving against traffic compounded the confusion.
Despite efforts by security operatives, including soldiers and FRSC officials, to restore order, the chaotic scene only worsened as night fell.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe, stressed that the impatience of motorists and lack of cooperation with traffic managers led to the worsening traffic situation.
She narrated that emergency responders, including the Police, FRSC, and TRACE, arrived at the scene of the crash very early on Thursday to evacuate the carcasses of the burnt vehicles, but the lack of cooperation from the motorists did not help the situation.
Okpe said, “We arrived at the scene of the crash as of 7 am today (Thursday) alongside the police and TRACE, but the challenge we had was that the motorists were not cooperating with us. Some of them resorted to driving the wrong way, and they did not obey the traffic managers, which contributed to the traffic jam.
“Some motorists even tried to attack our men. Our advice to motorists is that they should learn to cooperate with traffic managers whenever there is such a situation.”
Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the Director of the Ogun State Fire Service, Engr. Fatai Adefala proved abortive as calls and messages made to his line were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Reacting to the concerns of the motorists on the adjoining roads, the Special Adviser to the Ogun Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, disclosed that the government was making efforts to ensure that the road deficit across the state is being addressed.
He noted that no fewer than 1200 kilometres of road had been constructed by the current administration,n and the roads were done based on the availability of funds and budgetary allocation.
“When you look at the volume of vehicles plying the expressway, it is much and as such when an accident happens, the multiplier effect is unimaginable. But, I must commend the TRACE for their proactiveness in handling the situation.
“Regarding the adjoining roads, the government cannot construct all the roads overnight. It is a process, and it is about budget allocation and the resources available. In the last six years, Governor Dapo Abiodun has constructed over 1200km of roads across the 20 LGAs,” Akinmade said.
However, as of press time, the road has been open to traffic.
The Punch
