Former Anambra State governor and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has raised alarm over worsening traffic congestion on Nigeria’s major highways, blaming what he described as poorly positioned security checkpoints for crippling travel, exhausting motorists and increasing safety risks.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Obi said his concerns were shaped by first-hand experience travelling across several major routes during the festive season, when long-distance journeys were repeatedly stalled by extreme gridlock. He argued that what some might dismiss as a minor inconvenience has deeper consequences for public safety and day-to-day wellbeing.
“Some may dismiss certain areas of my commentary as trivial, but every detail has profound implications for our society; they significantly affect people’s daily lives,” he said.
Obi said the gridlock reached a point where some travellers headed for distant destinations were forced to abandon their trips after spending hours attempting to escape congestion. He pointed to checkpoint placement—especially at narrow road sections and around construction zones—as a key driver of bottlenecks, describing such positioning as counterproductive and “irresponsible.”
While acknowledging the role of security agencies, Obi urged them to apply greater discretion and flexibility, particularly during peak travel periods when large numbers of Nigerians are returning to work and covering long distances amid deteriorating road conditions.
He warned that extended delays leave drivers fatigued and more prone to accidents, and that motorists who begin journeys early can end up travelling late into the night—heightening vulnerability in an environment of rising insecurity. “The purpose of security is to protect lives, not endanger them,” he said.
Obi recommended urgent reforms, including relocating checkpoints away from bottlenecks, speeding up inspections during heavy traffic, and improving inter-agency coordination to reduce delays without weakening security coverage. He said better planning would make road travel “safer and more humane” for citizens.
