The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly condemned the ongoing road repair works on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, described them as “unprofessional, insensitive, and sadistic”.
According to the group, the repairs taking place towards the Ibadan end of the expressway have caused a massive traffic logjam, leaving thousands of commuters stranded as at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
In a press statement issued by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organisation expressed serious concern over the welfare and safety of affected travellers, especially with the Eid-el-Kabir (Salah) holiday fast approaching.
“The traffic logjam is so terrible that there is virtually no movement. It is most likely that hundreds of commuters will spend the night on the dark road, thereby exposing them to attacks by criminals,” the statement noted.
MURIC said it was baffled that such major repair work was scheduled during a period when thousands of Muslims and other Nigerians are travelling for Eid-el-Kabir festivities. It added that the construction company’s action smack of gross insensitivity and a lack of proper planning.
The organisation demanded an immediate halt to the repair activities and called for urgent relief for stranded travellers. It also urged the relevant authorities to launch an investigation into the circumstances that led to the gridlock.
MURIC further appealed to the Oyo State Police Command to swiftly deploy security personnel along the affected corridor to protect commuters from potential harm.
“This is not just a traffic inconvenience. It is a humanitarian and security issue. The timing of these repairs shows a reckless disregard for the wellbeing of Nigerians,” MURIC emphasized.
The group concluded by reminding contractors and public agencies that holidays, particularly religious ones, demand careful and considerate logistics planning to avoid inflicting unnecessary hardship on citizens.
