Traffic was thrown into chaos on Wednesday after truck drivers barricaded both lanes of the Lagos Ibadan Expressway at the Ogere axis, leaving thousands of motorists stranded for hours.
The disruption began when a truck driver allegedly parked across the road in protest, accusing operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps of extortion.
According to stranded commuters, the driver claimed that FRSC officers had seized his truck battery, prompting him to obstruct traffic on the Ibadan-bound side of the highway.
The situation quickly escalated as other truck drivers joined the demonstration, extending the blockade to the Lagos-bound lane and shutting down movement in both directions of the critical route.
Witnesses said the gridlock stretched for several kilometres, with commercial buses, private motorists and interstate travellers caught in the snarled traffic.
It was gathered that other truck drivers joined in solidarity, extending the blockade to the Lagos-bound section, which resulted in a complete standstill along the busy expressway.
Security operatives, including police officers and soldiers, were reported to have made efforts to restore order, but they were resisted by the aggrieved drivers and a swelling crowd of sympathisers.
Authorities from the Police and the Nigerian Army reportedly attempted to intervene, but their efforts were thwarted by the gathered crowd, preventing any immediate resolution.
As of the time of filing this report, normal traffic flow had yet to be restored, with officials exploring alternative measures to disperse the protesters and clear the expressway.