Traffic along the Osogbo-Gbongan road was brought to a standstill on Thursday as multiple accidents and heavy congestion left scores of commuters stranded for hours.
The gridlock, which extended from Akoda to Sekona, saw motorists trapped for nearly four hours, with minimal intervention from personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other security agencies.
While specific details of the incidents remained unclear as of press time, the Public Enlightenment Officer of the FRSC in Osun State, Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed that several individuals sustained injuries in one of the crashes and were taken to a private hospital in Ede. She noted that casualty figures were yet to be determined, saying, “Other details are not available yet.”
One of the major accidents reportedly occurred at Sekona junction, where a truck travelling from Gbongan collided with a car, completely blocking the road and disrupting traffic flow towards Moro and Ife.
By midday, only a handful of FRSC operatives and two military officers were seen attempting to manage the situation. Many travellers voiced frustration over the extended delay and the limited presence of traffic enforcement officials.
Mojeed Olamilekan, a commercial driver en route to Osogbo from Lagos, said he had been stuck at Sekona junction for over an hour. “I arrived here around 10:05 a.m., and I haven’t moved more than a few metres since then. The accident scene hasn’t been cleared, and there’s hardly any traffic control. This is unacceptable for a major road,” he lamented.
Another stranded commuter, Tajudeen, who was travelling to Ila Orangun from Ibadan, said he had spent nearly four hours in the jam. He blamed the situation on poor traffic law enforcement and widespread disregard for regulations. “There are too few officials on the ground, and many road users are not complying with traffic rules,” he said.
Within Osogbo metropolis, congestion worsened due to increased vehicular activity linked to the Eid-el-Kabir festivities. Several key areas—including Oja Oba, Oke Fia, Old Garage, Igbona, and Ota Efun—experienced heavy traffic, with commercial drivers taking advantage of the situation to hike fares.
