Travellers stranded as tanker driver blocks Lagos–Ore–Benin highway

Hundreds of travellers, motorists, and commercial transport operators were stranded for hours on Wednesday following a major traffic disruption along the Lagos–Ore–Benin Expressway after a tanker driver reportedly blocked a section of the highway at the Oniparaga axis in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo.

The incident triggered a massive gridlock on one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors linking the South-West to the South-South and South-East regions, disrupting the movement of passengers, goods, and services.

Commuters travelling for business, traders transporting goods, interstate transport operators, and private motorists were forced to endure hours of delay as traffic stretched for several kilometres along the affected route.

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Among those most affected were candidates travelling to various centres for ongoing recruitment exercises into the armed forces and paramilitary agencies, many of whom feared missing scheduled screenings and examinations due to the prolonged congestion.

The situation generated widespread concern after videos and photographs of the gridlock circulated on social media, accompanied by claims that tanker and trailer drivers had staged a protest over alleged extortion and harassment by police officers operating along the highway.

According to the reports, the blockade was organised by drivers protesting what they described as unlawful demands and intimidation by security personnel on the route.

The development sparked reactions from stranded commuters and road users, many of whom lamented the recurring challenges faced by motorists on major highways and called on relevant authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future.

However, the Ondo State Police Command has dismissed the allegations, insisting that the disruption was not linked to extortion or any misconduct by its personnel.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the Command described the reports as false, misleading, and capable of creating unnecessary tension among the public.

“The Ondo State Police Command has noted reports circulating on some media platforms alleging that a protest along the Lagos–Ore–Benin Expressway was triggered by the extortion of motorists by police personnel.

“The Command wishes to categorically debunk these allegations and state that they are entirely false and misleading,” Jimoh said.

According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the traffic disruption was caused by the deliberate action of a tanker driver who blocked the highway after a disagreement with police officers carrying out their lawful duties.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the traffic disruption was caused by the actions of a tanker driver who deliberately blocked the highway following a disagreement with police officers carrying out their lawful duties,” he added.

Jimoh explained that the driver’s action temporarily halted vehicular movement on the expressway, causing significant inconvenience to thousands of commuters and motorists.

He stressed that there was no organised protest by tanker or trailer drivers and no evidence linking the incident to allegations of police extortion.

The police spokesman further disclosed that additional security personnel and traffic management teams had been deployed to the area to restore order and facilitate the movement of trapped vehicles.

He noted that the Command was working in collaboration with relevant government agencies and stakeholders to remove the obstruction and restore normal traffic flow as quickly as possible.

“The Command remains committed to maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of all road users across the state. We urge members of the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information capable of causing panic,” he said.

The Lagos–Ore–Benin Expressway remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic highways, serving as a critical route for the movement of people and goods between Lagos and several states in the South-South and South-East regions.

As of the time of filing this report, security operatives and traffic officials were still working to clear the affected section of the road and ease the congestion, while stranded commuters awaited the full restoration of normal vehicular movement.