Motorists Stranded For Hours As Truck Falls Near Broken Bridge On Lagos-Benin Expressway

Motorists and passengers were left stranded for several hours after a truck toppled near a collapsed section of a bridge along the Isoko axis of the Lagos-Benin Expressway, exposing the river below and making the route impassable.

A video circulating online captured long queues of trapped vehicles, with frustrated road users appealing to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently address the deteriorating sections of the highway.

One passenger, featured in the viral footage, explained that the incident brought commuting and goods transportation to a halt for more than two hours. He said, “I’m currently standing on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, and where we are now is Isoko Camp. This is a bridge, a very short bridge, and this message is to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the one who is building a road from Lagos-Calabar Highway, the road to nowhere. This place is currently shut down.

“This truck fell here, and there’s no way. Look at this place. Vehicles are blocked. Look this way, everywhere packed up.”

The commuter expressed concern over the worsening condition of the bridge, pointing out exposed sections above the river as a serious threat to both lives and businesses.

He criticised the federal government’s focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, accusing Minister Umahi of neglecting key economic routes such as the Lagos-Benin Expressway. He added, “This is an expressway, and we have a minister. This is the Lagos-Benin Expressway yet, our minister, dey do Lagos – Calabar Highway.

“This is what we have. Do you know how many people pass here? As I’m speaking to you now, if you look up, trailer. If you know the number of trailers that are here and are trapped, it means the economy of Nigeria is affected. Because the number of goods and services has been shut down. Everywhere is shut down.

“This road now, everywhere is at standstill. This vehicle is even lucky that it didn’t fall into the water. And we have a Minister of Works wasting money, saying Calabar Expressway.”

The passenger emphasised the Lagos-Benin Expressway’s strategic economic importance, urging the minister to prioritise its repair. He stated, “Mr. Minister, let me educate you. If you have a small economic sense, you will know that this road alone is affecting Nigeria’s economy. But that Calabar Expressway, it’s not affecting anybody. If you go there now, you won’t see vehicles parked lined up there. The only place where you will see vehicles lined up is on this road. So if the Minister has more direction, he will go and fix this road.

“I see when they say they need more money, they are borrowing more money to put in the road we don’t use. Then the one we use is abandoned. So please, those who are close to the Minister, talk to him. We are stranded here now. We have been here for over two hours now, and nothing is moving.”

The viral video has drawn widespread attention on social media, with users describing the Lagos-Benin Expressway as a “death trap” and joining calls for immediate government intervention.