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Motorists and passengers were stranded for hours after a truck fell near a failed portion of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river beneath and rendering the route impassable.
A viral video from the scene showed queues of trapped vehicles as frustrated road users called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently repair the dilapidated sections of the highway, reports The PUNCH.
One stranded passenger, who was filmed in the video, lamented that the incident left commuters stuck for over two hours, halting both vehicular movement and the flow of goods.
He said, โIโm currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.
โThis truck fell here, and thereโs no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.โ
The visibly frustrated commuter revealed the deteriorating state of the bridge, pointing to exposed sections above the river, which he described as a threat to lives and businesses.
He criticised the federal governmentโs focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, accusing Umahi of neglecting critical economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
โThis is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos โ Calabar Highway,โ he said.
โThis is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As Iโm speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.
โThis road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didnโt fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.โ
He further argued that the Lagos-Benin Expressway carries more economic importance than the Lagos-Calabar Highway, urging the minister to prioritise repairs.
He said, โMr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeriaโs economy. But that Calabar Expressway, itโs not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you wonโt see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.
โI see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we donโt use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.โ
The video has gained the attention of concerned citizens on social media, some of whom describe the road as a โdeath trapโ and joined in calling for quick intervention on the road.
