Traffic along the Osogbo-Gbongan road was severely disrupted on Thursday as multiple accidents caused a major gridlock, leaving travellers stranded for several hours.
The congestion, which stretched between Akoda and Sekona communities, kept some motorists stuck for nearly four hours, with only a limited number of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials and security personnel on the ground to manage the situation.
While details of the accidents remained unclear as of press time, the Public Enlightenment Officer of the FRSC in Osun State, Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed that some victims sustained injuries and were taken to a private hospital in Ede. “Other details are not available yet,” she added.
One of the accidents occurred at Sekona junction, where a truck heading from Gbongan collided with a car, completely blocking the road and preventing movement toward Moro and Ife.
By midday, a handful of FRSC operatives and two military officers were seen working to alleviate the traffic jam.
Frustrated commuters expressed their displeasure over the delay and the apparent lack of adequate traffic management.
A commercial driver en route to Osogbo from Lagos, Mojeed Olamilekan, shared his ordeal: “I have been on this spot for 1 hour. I arrived at Sekona junction at about 10:05. I am still a few meters away from the same spot one hour later. This is uncalled for. People are misbehaving because security men and FRSC officials are not many. There was an accident, and the scene has not been cleared yet; no movement. I am going to Osogbo from Lagos. We should not be having a situation like this on this busy road.”
Another commuter travelling to Ila Orangun from Ibadan, identified simply as Tajudeen, also shared his frustration: “I have spent about 3 hours, 45 minutes in the gridlock. People are unruly, but you can also see that law enforcement officers are not enough. Two accidents occurred, but that should not have caused this kind of hardship here. We are in this mess because people aren’t obeying traffic laws.”
Within Osogbo metropolis, heavy traffic was also reported in several areas including Oja Oba, Oke Fia, Old Garage, Igbona, and Ota Efun. The congestion was partly attributed to increased vehicular movement due to the Eid-el Kabir festivities.
Meanwhile, commuters complained that public transport operators were exploiting the situation by hiking fares.
The situation underscored concerns about the need for more robust traffic enforcement and quicker emergency response along major routes in Osun State.
