Passengers Stranded for Six Hours on Benin Bypass as Minister Umahi Faces Backlash Over Coastal Road Priority

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

Angry passengers and motorists stranded on the collapsed Benin Bypass have directed their frustration at the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, accusing him of prioritising the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway over the rehabilitation of a critical federal road that has become a death trap for commuters. Some travellers told journalists they had spent up to six hours navigating the 24-kilometre Bypass, which was once celebrated as a solution to Benin City's gridlock but has now deteriorated into a nightmare of craters, collapsed sections, and endless queues.

The Benin Bypass, built in 2002 at a cost of N10.2 billion to connect the Ore-Benin road with the Benin-Asaba end, was designed to save motorists the agony of cutting through the congested Benin City metropolis. However, more than two decades later, the road has become a symbol of official neglect. Motorists who once used the Bypass to avoid four-hour traffic jams through Benin City are now forced to endure even longer delays on the same stretch that was meant to bypass the city entirely. According to passengers, articulated vehicles struggling to navigate the treacherous terrain have fallen and blocked entire lanes, leaving commuters trapped for hours.

A passenger who spoke to journalists at the scene expressed outrage at what he described as the government's misplaced priorities. "Some of us have spent six hours here. The Minister of Works is busy celebrating the Lagos-Calabar coastal road while this road, which serves thousands of people daily, is left to collapse," he said. Another motorist lamented that the road had been in a state of total disrepair for years, with successive governments failing to intervene. "We pay taxes, we pay for fuel, and this is what we get. It is embarrassing that a road built 24 years ago is now a graveyard for vehicles," he said.

The Bypass has a history of structural failures. A 2008 newspaper report cited by Ikechukwu Amaechi in a Vanguard column noted that more than 35 people died at the Ikpoba Slope section of the Bypass within three months after one lane was closed for repairs. Fatal accidents were caused by heavy-duty vehicles whose brakes failed while descending the slope. Today, the entire Bypass is littered with potholes and craters, making it one of the most dangerous roads in Nigeria.

The Federal Ministry of Works has previously defended its focus on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a strategic infrastructure project aimed at boosting connectivity, tourism, and economic growth across eight coastal states. The 700km, 8-lane highway, which is already reshaping urbanization patterns and land values along the coast, has been described as a game-changer for Nigeria's economy. However, critics argue that the government's obsession with mega-projects has come at the expense of existing roads that are in urgent need of repair.

Senator Umahi has consistently urged Federal Controllers of Works to take ownership of projects and prioritise the interests of Nigerians. At a recent meeting with the controllers, he charged them to spend more time at project sites and remain close to communities directly affected by road projects. He said public service was more meaningful when driven by genuine passion for the people. But for the passengers stranded on the Benin Bypass, those words ring hollow.

The gridlock on the Benin Bypass is not an isolated incident. The road has become a recurring nightmare for travellers, particularly during the Christmas and Easter holidays. Amaechi described driving on the Bypass as "an experience that will amount to extreme wickedness to wish on even your enemy." He wrote: "The craters on the road were so big and deep that you dare not drive near any articulated truck. You need a special driving skill to survive a trip on that goddamned Bypass."

For the passengers who have spent hours trapped in traffic, the message to the government is unambiguous: fix the road that connects communities and keeps people alive before celebrating new highways that serve the elite. As one frustrated commuter put it, "The coastal road is for the rich. The Benin Bypass is for all of us. And right now, all of us are suffering."

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