Access Bank marathon paralyses Lagos

Commuters in Lagos metropolis on Saturday experienced gridlocks as roads were closed for the 42km Access Bank Lagos City Marathon in which foreign and local elite athletes participated.

NAN reports roads linking the route of the race from Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere on Funsho Williams Avenue to Ikorodu road were closed.

The race was ran through Ikorodu road via Anthony Village to Gbagada through Third Mainland Bridge to Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island.

In spite of the state government’s publicity on the closure of the roads linking the route, many commuters claimed ignorance of the warnings.

The route for the marathon was closed for use to the public from 7am when the race started.

Policemen lined the route to forestall breakdown of law and order.

Commuters were seen on the major highways stranded, while some complained of inadequate information about the closure of the affected roads.

However, the heavy presence of the commuters was also attributed to the popular night vigil by the Redeemed Christian Church of God along Lagos-Ibadan expressway which coincided with the timing of the marathon.

Many of the commuters looked weary from the all night service.

A civil servant, Tayo Owoseni, coming from the all night service, said the gridlock was unavoidable for many of them.

“We cannot escape it because the timing of the closure clashed with the time we are coming from the Holy Ghost Night, how can we escape it?

“To get to this point from Lagos-Ibadan expressway took us about one hour but on getting to the Ketu end of the expressway, we were told we cannot go further.

“Government should have provided alternate routes for us,” she said.

Kudirat Musibau, a trader at Apongbon market on Lagos Island, claimed ignorance of the restriction order, saying it was a strange development to her.

“I never had anything about this restriction, nobody informed me because I am used to going to market very early and returning late in the night.

“I got to know about the order when I got to Ojota and saw the long queue which initially, I supposed will soon fizzle out.

“I was told later that the roads were barricaded because of the restriction order. So, I will just have to stay until we are released,” she said.

NAN reports that the Ogudu end of the road was opened to users at exactly 10.28am.