The Abuja-Lokoja highway, a major road that links the Federal Capital territory with many parts of southern Nigeria was closed to motorists on Sunday by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) for safety reasons.
Hundreds of people travelling from the north to south and vice versa were trapped on opposite sides of the River Niger since Sunday. Passengers travelling to Abuja and other parts of the North now pay N500 to board an engine boat from Mpata area to Banda, where they board vehicles to Abuja.
Some motorists were said to have paid as much as between fifteen thousand naira to be ferried across with their vehicles.
Consequent upon the blockade of the highway, the FRSC gave alternative routes as follows: "vehicles coming from Lagos – Okene – Lokoja- Abuja should use Okene – Ajaokuta – Ayangba – Ankpa – Makurdi Lafiya- Akwanga- Abuja.
A statement from the office of the FRSC in Lokoja also said: "Those coming from the South-East should use Otukpa – Makurdi route. The ones from Abuja to Lokoja should use Akwanga – Lafiya- Makurdi – Ankpa – Okene down to Lokoja with massive deployment of personnel to the alternative routes to ensure free flow of traffic."
The Minister of Works Arc Mike Onolememen on Monday said during his visit to the flooded location, promised Nigerians that the road would be recovered in three days.
He thereafter directed the three construction companies to work day and night to effect quick recovery of the road to reduce the agony of motorists.
Our correspondent who was at the Banda area of the road yesterday in company of the police observed Gitto, Julius Berger and RCC construction companies working to block the water and open the road.
One engineer with Gitto construction company, Ajani Adeyemo, told Daily Trust that work on the road would be completed last night so that motorists can continue their journeys.
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