Traffic congestion on the Lokoja–Abuja highway has entered its third day, with the gridlock at the Kotonkarfe axis showing no signs of easing, causing severe hardship for motorists and commuters, especially as the Yuletide season approaches.

Lokoja, December 23, 2025

An appeal has been made to the Federal Government to urgently direct the contractors handling the ongoing road construction to temporarily open up the affected sections of the highway to allow for the free flow of traffic during the festive period.

According to reports from Solomon Ayedehin, who has been on ground at Kotonkarfe, the situation remains critical, with hundreds of vehicles still stranded. Long queues of trucks, commercial buses, and private cars stretch for several kilometres, leaving many travellers stuck for hours, and in some cases, days.

Motorists expressed frustration over the slow pace of work at the construction site and the lack of effective traffic control, noting that the gridlock has disrupted travel plans, delayed movement of goods, and increased transportation costs.

Residents and road users have also raised concerns over safety, citing the risk of accidents, insecurity, and exhaustion, particularly for families travelling for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
As at the time of filing this report, no official directive has been issued to ease the congestion, while commuters continue to hope for swift intervention to restore normal traffic flow on the busy Lokoja–Abuja highway.