A petrol tanker explosion near the NASFAT corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway caused massive gridlock that lasted for nearly two days, leaving thousands of travellers stranded and frustrated.
The incident, which occurred around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, led to a total standstill on the busy highway, especially on the Ogun State section. By Thursday afternoon, traffic was still crawling, with many commuters stuck for over 12 hours.
Motorists heading from the Sagamu Interchange towards Lagos were the worst hit, as vehicles formed long queues stretching several kilometres. Although traffic into Lagos from Magboro was moving, those coming from the opposite direction were left stranded.
Many commuters expressed anger over the slow response from the Ogun State Government. Some commercial bus drivers abandoned their routes, while others drove against traffic, worsening the confusion. Passengers were left to walk long distances or wait helplessly in the heat.
“This is typical of how Ogun handles emergencies,” said Chinedu, a motor boy caught in the gridlock. “If it were Lagos, LASTMA would’ve cleared the road overnight. But here, everyone waits for the Federal Government.”
Another commuter, Damola Olaniyi, said he arrived at the scene by 5 a.m. on Thursday, hoping the road had been cleared. “To my surprise, by noon, nothing had changed,” he said.
A corps member, Olamide, said her bus was stuck in traffic for over four hours. “We passed the burnt tanker and could still see smoke rising. No one was there managing the scene,” she said.
Hawkers, while making brisk business, expressed sympathy for stranded travellers. One teenage seller said, “I don make money, but I pity them.”
Commercial drivers like Rafiu Alamu, who ply the Berger-Mowe route daily, were also affected. “This is suffering. I entered the road at 6:30 a.m. and by 10, I hadn’t even completed one trip,” he said.
At the height of the chaos, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Police, and TRACE officials were deployed to the scene. However, FRSC spokesperson Florence Okpe blamed impatient motorists for worsening the traffic, noting that some even attempted to attack traffic officers.
“We were on site by 7 a.m., but drivers refused to cooperate. Many were driving one-way, making it hard for us to control the situation,” she said.
In response to the public outcry, the Special Adviser to the Ogun Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the state was addressing road infrastructure deficits and had completed over 1,200km of roads since 2019. He added that the volume of vehicles on the expressway makes any obstruction difficult to clear quickly.
The explosion, which involved a petrol-laden tanker that fell and caught fire, sent thick smoke into the air and trapped hundreds of vehicles. While the fire was brought under control on Wednesday, clearing the wreckage and restoring traffic flow took much longer, drawing criticism from the public.
Despite repeated promises of better emergency response and infrastructure, many commuters say they’re tired of suffering the same fate each time accidents occur on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
