Hundreds of articulated vehicles, including trailers and fuel tankers, have been stranded for about 48 hours along the Ifaki-Oye-Ilupeju axis of Ekiti State following the collapse of a section of the federal road at Ikupeju-Ekiti.
The road failure has caused a massive traffic gridlock, disrupting the movement of goods into and out of the state while leaving motorists, residents and truck drivers distressed.
The situation has also raised safety concerns in the affected community, as many of the stranded vehicles are tankers carrying petroleum products. Residents fear that any accident or fire outbreak involving the tankers could have serious consequences.
Former Senator representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, Ayo Arise, who visited the area, described the situation as alarming and called for urgent intervention by the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Works.
Arise said the extent of the gridlock was worse than he had anticipated, comparing it to the severe traffic congestion previously experienced around Apapa in Lagos State.
He said he personally experienced the difficulty after arriving in Ekiti from Akure, noting that a journey that should ordinarily take only a few minutes from Ifaki became a prolonged ordeal.
According to the former senator, he had to remain in Ado for several hours because vehicles could neither enter nor leave some of the affected communities.
“I was surprised that we had so many articulated vehicles parked on the road. Some are on the lane going into here, and those coming in from the likes of Lokoja, they couldn’t pass,” Arise said.
He added that vehicles travelling in the opposite direction were also unable to move because of the badly damaged section of the road.
Arise said the road had remained a problem for more than 15 years and described the situation as “a total embarrassment.”
He urged the Federal Government to intervene immediately, warning that the economic impact of the prolonged gridlock could be significant.
“Until I saw the extent yesterday, I could never have imagined in my mind that the traffic here is so heavy. This is almost worse than what Apapa used to be,” he said.
The former senator noted that the stranded trucks were carrying various goods and containers destined for businesses and communities across the region.
He also appealed for temporary permission to allow emergency repairs on the affected section of the federal road so that traffic could resume.
Meanwhile, the prolonged gridlock has highlighted the hardship faced by truck drivers who depend on constant movement for their livelihoods.
One of the drivers, Akanda James Taiwo, said he had been stranded for about 48 hours, describing the situation as a major hardship.
Another driver, Muhammed Hammed, expressed frustration over the deteriorating condition of the road and criticised what he described as the tendency of authorities to pay greater attention to truck drivers and other transport workers mainly during election periods.
The affected route remains a major concern for motorists and residents as calls grow for urgent repairs to restore the movement of vehicles and goods.
