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Kogi Government, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other security agencies, including the military are battling to ease the huge gridlock that has engulfed the Lokoja-Abuja road since Friday evening.
FRSC, military and police manned the road from the Murtala Mohammed bridge through Koton Karfa to Ozi community near Gegu, controlling traffic to ease the gridlock.
Other corridors including the Lagos-Benin, Benin-Asaba highways and other major routes in the South East and South South as well as the South West are also witnessing gridlock.
FRSC Sector Commander in Kogi, Mr. Tenimu Etuku, said more strategies were being deployed to overcome the gridlock and ease the plight of travellers.
“We have pulled out four fallen articulated vehicles from the road yet the traffic persisted due to impatience by motorists. They hardly listen or wait for clearance of a route.
“The drivers are the problem. Truck drivers can deliberately block the highway on the slightest provocation, not minding the consequences, particularly on travellers and other motorists.
“We had two of such incidents on Sunday, even after we opened the gridlock on Saturday night. We are trying our best to ease the built up traffic, ” he said.
Kogi State Security Adviser, Commodore Jerry Omodara (retd), described the situation as “very unfortunate ” and “uncalled for” at such a critical festive season.
Omodara said critical sections of the road requiring immediate attention had been identified and taken care of to ensure smooth vehicular movement.
He said the state is collaborating with the FRSC, military, police and others to ensure safe and seamless travel for commuters during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“Some travellers spent hours, even the night on the Lokoja-Abuja-Lokoja highway before continuing their journeys to either the Southern or Northern parts of the country. The gridlocks were also caused by ongoing road constructions across the state. There had been repeated assurances by the Federal Ministry of Works that traffic will not be an obstacle to intending road users, yet the situation had worsened.”
He, however , assured travellers of freeing the highway and other roads in Kogi by Monday, to ensure smooth movement. “We are trusting God to help us restore normal traffic flow along the expressway this Monday (yesterday).”
Meanwhile, thousands of residents across the country have continued to brave rising transport fares and security concerns to travel home for the Christmas celebration.
The travellers said Christmas represents family identity and was a non-negotiable tradition.
At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Mathew Okah, who was in one of the major parks to board a vehicle, said in spite of financial pressure and security fears, he would still travel to celebrate with his family in the South-East.
“I go home for Christmas every year because my family is in the East and I have been working in Abuja throughout the year. I travel not just to see them, but also to rest. There is no place like home. Family time is sacred for some of us; you get to see your aged parents, take home something to celebrate with them, and reunite with extended family members.”
He added that travelling home also give him the opportunity to fulfil cultural and communal obligations.
Another respondent, Mrs. Victoria Jacob, who was travelling with her children, described Christmas travel as a necessity. “I always feel like I am missing a part of life if I stay back in Abuja during the festivities,” she said.
Although she described the cost of transportation as painful, Jacob said people accepted the doubling or tripling of fares because it was a yearly sacrifice. On security concerns, she said: “We have survived the worst situations. God will protect us. We just have to avoid night travel and unsafe routes while we pray and trust God for safety.”
Meanwhile, a resident of Bwari, Mr. Kelechi John, said travelling home every Christmas was not a necessity for him. He cited insecurity, financial strain, and work commitments as reasons for staying back, adding that some people travelled due to cultural pressure or fear of being judged for “forgetting home.”
This, he said, often led people to travel even when they could not afford it, resulting in avoidable discomfort.
“We’ll stay back this year. Let’s stay alive first; the village will still be there. We will plan when fares drop and the rush is less.”
Commercial bus fares from Bwari to the southern and eastern parts of the country ranged from N60,000 to N80,000 per passenger while fares to Kaduna and other neighbouring northern towns ranged between N8,000 and N10,000.
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Meanwhile, some traders in Lagos have expressed mixed reactions over the level of patronage, as rising costs and cautious shoppers shape festive market mood.
Some traders at Balogun Business Association (BBA) Market and Oyinlola Ifelodun Market in Festac Town lamented yesterday that the festive rush had yet to fully set in.
A clothing trader at BBA, Mrs Joy Nwachukwu, said sales improved for her this year compared to the same period in 2024.
“As at this time last year, I didn’t have many customers coming to buy but this year has been better. Irrespective of the price increase, they’re still buying,” she said.
Mrs Tutu Hunpe, a vendor of children’s clothing at Oyinlola Ifelodun Market in Festac Town, said this year’s festive shopping patterns have diverged from previous trends.
“We are noticing a marked increase in adults purchasing items for personal use, rather than prioritising children’s clothing.It appears economic pressures are influencing parental spending decisions.”
Mr. Chukwudi Obi, a shoe vendor at BBA Market, said shoppers appeared more focused on self-gratification and personal pleasure in 2025.
“Most of the sales I’ve made are solely for adults. It seems a lot of people are focusing more on enjoying this Christmas than they did last year,” he said.
Many other traders, however, decried low patronage and unrealistic bargaining of their wares by shoppers.
Mrs Blessing Dikeh at BBA, lamented that many potential buyers walked away without making purchases, after being told the price of goods.
“They just call their prices and leave. The prices they call are extremely low, far below what I can accept,” she said.
Mrs. Bolaji Disu at the Oyinlola Ifelodun Market, who shared a similar experience, attributed it to the rising costs of goods from the wholesalers.
She said customers usually had the misconception that the rising cost was their doing rather than the wholesalers. “We can’t sell our items at the same amount we bought them,” she said.
In the decorations segment, a Christmas ornaments trader, Mrs. Joy Chidinma, noted that though prices had remained stable, demand was still low. “Prices of Christmas lights haven’t increased much compared to last year but the market is slow.”
The Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON) have assured Nigerians travelling to various destinations that efforts were being made to ensure they enjoy safe and hitch-free trips.
In a statement by the National President, Mr. Samuel Ezeh, and the Secretary, Mr Frank Nneji in Lagos, yesterday, the association said it was aware of the safety concerns of the travelling public as well as the seasonal upsurge in the number of passengers, adding that the issues are being addressed.
“The association is collaborating with various security agencies to ensure safe and incident-free operations, especially along the busy routes.
“Apart from beefing up capacities by adding brand new big and small buses to their various fleets, our member-companies have also been maintaining their older vehicles so that they would be in very good motoring condition. “All these are in the interest of the travellers.”
The ALBON executive members, however, appealed to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to urgently intervene and find a solution to the gridlocks being experienced by travellers on various corridors as Christmas draws nearer.
They noted that the traffic situation on various routes would result in travellers spending long hours on the road and arriving at their destinations late.
They noted that a sharper upsurge in the volume of seasonal passengers was likely this year owing to the unprecedented hike in air fares which made many regular flyers to go by road.
“Our members have, therefore, updated fleets of buses, prepared the on-board crews, as well as the ground staff to meet the expected challenges of the season’s operations.
“We wish our customers a merry Christmas and a happy New Year in advance, and urge our customers to always be safety conscious,” the transporters said.
