Motorists agonised Friday as they were held up for hours in the gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as a result of protest against the disbanded Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARs).

The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions as they blocked the expressway.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the situation reported that the gridlock affected both lanes of the expressway.

The gridlock which started from Mowe axis of the expressway in Obafemi-Owode Local Government, Ogun, stretched to Magboro end of Lagos axis.

Passengers who could not bear with the gridlock resorted to trekking.

Some of the motorists, who spoke with NAN expressed their displeasure over the situation.

Mr Muyiwa Akande, a commercial driver, said that he had been in the gridlock for more than five hours.

Akande, who explained that he left Ibadan around 8 a.m for Lagos, said he was still in the gridlock as at 1p.m.

“Ordinarily, this journey should not to take me more than one and half hours maximum but I have spent more than five hours in the gridlock.

“This is terrible and something urgent must be done,” he said.

Another driver, Mr Ismail Olayiwola, said he left Osogbo as early as 7 a.m with the hope of getting to Lagos before 11a.m but was surprised to meet the gridlock in Mowe.

Olayiwola said he had spent more than six hours in the gridlock.

He appealed to the youths to put a stop to the protest for the sake of the masses.

Some passengers, who could not bear the pain of the gridlock and took to trekking also spoke with NAN correspondent.

Miss Charity Nwafor, said he had been in the gridlock for more than seven hours and could no longer bear the pain of sitting in the bus.

Nwafor said that she left Ibadan around 6 a.m but was still in the gridlock as at 12 noon.

She said that since she could no longer bear it, she had decided to trek from Ibafo to Berger to safe time.

“I cannot bear it any longer and there is no hope in sight that the situation will improve.

“That is why I have to embark on trekking to my destination,” Nwafor said.

By Victor Adeoti