Festac Town a community in Amuwoodofin local government area which is hardly synonymous to Traffic buildup is experiencing more than 24 hours of chaos.
Since yesterday, Thursday November 5th 2020, the traffic situation has been chaotic and causing discomfort to resident even till now as at this time of report filing.
According to source, The reason for this chaotic experience is due to the road closure of 204 axis of 2nd Avenue Road which houses the Area E Police station. The police trying to protect their station from damage and attack due to an intelligence report.
The 2nd Avenue is a major road in Festac town which majority of road users ply regularly. This blockage is causing serious and unnecessary discomfort to residents and road users in the community.
The blockage yesterday caught people unaware without prior information. Both sides of the road has been blocked
According to Shola Fakorede , FTRA President,
The 2nd Avenue by Police Division and Command blockade today again has really caught people unaware and causing unnecessary hardship to the Residents and Festac Town road users. The blockade was just sudden with no plans on how to cushion the hardship on road users.
Though the blockade was as a result of intelligence report that some elements are to go on further protest and no one can guarantee the nature of the protest whether peaceful or violence.
This has made the Lagos State Police Command to issue a press release today saying no form of protest or large gatherings should be carried out within the State for now until security situation improves.
This was communicated to all police divisions and not Festac Town alone, Hence the reason for the blockade.
Recall that this blockage started after the hoodlums hijacked the peaceful protests and caused destruction to properties in Lagos State.
Since then the 2nd Avenue axis was cordoned off, after some days one lane was opened to ease traffic on alternative routes. But sadly as at yesterday both lanea have been blocked.
Some people yesterday were stuck in this traffic for hours including school children enroute home and those tired from an exhausted day at work
John Oki, a resident lamented bitterly saying that blocking the second Avenue road is subjecting the road users especially residents to suffering.
Another resident lamented that the road was blocked off without providing traffic control or diverting traffic in alternative routes.
A mother of three complained bitterly of how she was stucked in chaotic traffic for two hours with her children.
Mr Shaibu lamented too
We woke up in festac town to a massive traffic build up inside festac town.
The cause is that the police in trying to protect their station during the #EndSARS blocked the major access road and the access road has remained blocked
The alternative heavily affected routes are 32 Road , 31 Road, 4th Avenue, 21 Road.
We appeal to the necessary authorities to come to the aid of residents and ease the current chaos in Festac Town.