Yuletide road travel turns nightmare for Nigerians heading east

Southeast map

Thousands of Nigerians travelling by road to their hometowns for Christmas and New Year celebrations are facing severe hardships, particularly on routes to the eastern part of the country, as poor road conditions, traffic gridlocks, and illegal checkpoints exacerbate the festive travel rush.

Many travellers, mostly Igbo returning home for traditional end-of-year festivities, described the journey as torturous, exhausting, and nightmarish. Mrs. Vivian Tochukwu, a businesswoman travelling with her family from Lagos to Onitsha on Sunday, December 21, said a trip that should have taken less than eight hours stretched into an overnight ordeal. Her family arrived the following day.

She reported persistent extortion by security officials, who allegedly collected N200 at multiple checkpoints from Lagos. In parts of Edo State, local youths set up illegal checkpoints, demanding tolls ranging from N200 to N500. Travellers who refused payment were reportedly delayed, harassed, and, in some cases, physically assaulted, with vehicles vandalised.

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Another traveller, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ordeal worsened after Ore in Ondo State, where a truck attempting a U-turn blocked the highway. “We left at 4:30 a.m. and got there around 10:30 a.m. We waited over two hours before diverting through old village roads to connect Okada in Edo State,” he said.

The diversion exposed travellers to more than 30 illegal checkpoints, with some vehicles sustaining damage. Many were forced to spend the night in hotels at unplanned costs or sleep in motor parks. Social media posts from stranded passengers advised others to prepare at least two days’ worth of food, warning that “umu Igbo are suffering on the way to Ala Igbo.”

Reports from Abuja-bound travellers heading east painted a similar picture. Many had to divert through bush paths around Lokoja and other flashpoints due to insecurity, with some reconsidering the cost of air travel. “I would rather pay one million naira to fly than go through what we experienced yesterday,” one passenger said.