Commuters found themselves stuck for nearly 24 hours along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway after a petrol tanker exploded near the NASFAT corridor in Ogun State, causing a major traffic jam that stretched across several kilometres.
The explosion, which happened around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, resulted in a standstill that lingered deep into Thursday afternoon. Despite claims of early intervention from state and federal agencies, many road users expressed anger and disbelief at the slow pace of clearing the wreckage.
When reporters arrived at the scene around 1 p.m. on Thursday, the traffic was still unmoving from the Mobil Filling Station just after Arepo up to the impact site. While vehicles moving into Lagos from Magboro faced no major delay, travellers heading from Sagamu to Lagos were caught in the thick of the gridlock, with some stuck for up to eight hours.
Many commercial drivers abandoned their routes altogether or started driving against traffic, making things worse. Others offloaded their passengers mid-journey due to worsening road conditions. “We had no choice but to drop everyone at Magboro and return to Lagos. The road was simply not moving,” said one driver.
Frustrated road users also pointed fingers at the Ogun State Government. A motor boy named Chinedu said, “This is what happens whenever traffic issues occur on the Ogun State corridor of the expressway. They will be waiting for the Federal Government to come and rescue the situation.”
Another commuter, Damola Olaniyi, who had joined the road early on Thursday, said the situation was “sad and frustrating.” According to him, “There’s no traffic controller here. Everyone is just struggling to find a way through.”
A corps member identified as Olamide noted that her bus had been trapped for more than four hours. “We even saw smoke still rising from the burnt tanker,” she added.
Commercial driver Sola compared the response to a similar incident in Lagos. “There was nearly a similar incident at the Otedola Bridge in Lagos. The explosion happened at night, and by the next morning, the road was clear. But in Ogun, it’s still blocked the next day. It’s just irresponsible,” he said.
Passengers were visibly restless. Some stepped out to stretch their legs. One pregnant woman leaned out of a window for air, muttering, “Only God will save us in this country.”
Meanwhile, a hawker selling sausage rolls said he had seen unusually high sales. “No be small money I don see since morning. I just pity people wey dey inside the traffic,” he said.
Online, Nigerians also reacted. @Ay_bkini wrote, “It’s crazy that in 2025, a fire incident involving multiple trailers/cars on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which occurred yesterday is still causing traffic the next day.”
Officials blamed the chaos on the lack of cooperation from motorists. Florence Okpe, spokesperson for the FRSC in Ogun, said, “Some motorists even tried to attack our men… they did not obey the traffic managers, which contributed to the traffic jam.”
