Severe Traffic Congestion on Abuja-Kaduna Highway

During the Eid el-Kabir holiday, commuters on the Abuja-Kaduna highway experienced significant traffic congestion, with many drivers spending several hours on the road. Bello Musa, a commercial driver, reported that traffic was particularly heavy around the Jere junction, forcing some motorists to take alternative routes to avoid delays.

Abdullahi Adamu from the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) noted that the gridlock led to a sharp increase in transport fares, with drivers charging N20,000 for trips from Abuja to Kano, up from N12,000. Despite the presence of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) along the route, efforts to alleviate the congestion were minimal.

Haruna Ibrahim described his journey from Abuja to Kaduna, which typically takes three hours, extending to six hours due to traffic. The NURTW has called for an immediate suspension of ongoing road rehabilitation work to reopen diversion points and improve traffic flow during the holiday period.