Motorists were left stranded for hours on Sunday as a severe traffic jam paralysed the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following a surge in commercial activity at Kara Market ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The annual Muslim festival, expected to hold on Wednesday, has triggered heavy buying activity at ram markets across Lagos and Ogun states, leading to increased movement along major highways.
The gridlock was particularly intense around the Kara Market axis, located near Berger, where large numbers of buyers, traders, and transporters converged, resulting in massive congestion along the busy expressway.
Traffic reportedly began building up on Saturday but worsened significantly on Sunday as vehicles struggled to access the market area.
Long queues of cars stretched across both sides of the road, with commercial buses, private vehicles, and trucks carrying livestock all competing for limited space.
Many motorists complained that journeys that normally take minutes stretched into several hours due to the severity of the congestion.
Some commuters attributed the situation to indiscriminate parking and roadside trading activities, which further restricted the flow of traffic around the area.
Security operatives and traffic officials were deployed around the OPIC axis to manage the situation and maintain a single lane for movement.
Traffic officials identified market activities as the major cause of the congestion, noting that vehicles occupying parts of the highway worsened the situation.
Commercial drivers also expressed frustration, saying the annual gridlock during festive periods around Kara Market has become a recurring challenge.
Some road users called on the Ogun State Government to consider relocating the market to reduce yearly disruptions along the expressway.
The situation was further worsened as some motorists drove against traffic on the Long Bridge in an attempt to escape the jam, prompting intervention from Federal Road Safety Corps officials.
Transport fares also increased sharply, leaving many commuters stranded and struggling to find available buses.
Lagos State traffic authorities confirmed the situation, attributing the gridlock to the high volume of ram trading activities and stating that additional personnel were deployed to manage traffic flow.
They also noted that security agencies were alerted to prevent criminal elements from taking advantage of the congestion.
Authorities urged better coordination between neighbouring states to improve traffic management around major commercial routes during festive periods.
