By SUNTV Global Channel
August 20, 2026
Passengers travelling through Edo State have expressed anger over the severe traffic congestion and poor condition of the Benin City Bypass, with some claiming they spent between four and six hours trapped in the gridlock.
The complaints were contained in a viral video shared on social media, showing vehicles moving slowly along a long stretch of congested road.
One of the passengers criticised the Federal Government’s infrastructure priorities, particularly the focus on projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, while existing roads remain in poor condition.
The passenger directly called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to address the situation, questioning why motorists and passengers were being subjected to such hardship.
“David Umahi, Honourable Minister of Works, if you know that you cannot do the job given to you, resign!” the passenger said while showing the traffic behind him.
He claimed that some travellers had spent as much as six hours in the traffic.
“Some of us have been here for six hours, some four hours,” he said.
The passenger also questioned the government’s decision to prioritise new coastal road projects when major existing routes require urgent attention.
“This is Edo State, Bypass. You are constructing coastal roads while existing roads are still bad,” he said.
He further challenged political leaders, including Umahi and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to experience the difficulties faced by ordinary Nigerians travelling on the route.
The passenger said the gridlock had severely disrupted his journey from Lagos to Warri. According to him, he eventually abandoned the vehicle he had paid to travel in, carried his luggage and used a motorcycle to escape the traffic.
He claimed the congestion stretched for approximately six to seven kilometres.
“ I paid for a journey from Lagos to Warri, but I left the vehicle on the road, carried my bag and took a motorcycle to get out of the traffic,” he said.
The passenger also questioned whether the situation would influence public support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
“David Umahi, what do you want us to campaign for Tinubu for? Why do you want us to campaign for Tinubu?” he asked.
He ended his remarks by expressing frustration over what he described as the government’s failure to adequately address the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
The claims made by the passengers in the viral video have generated renewed discussion over the condition of major highways and the Federal Government’s priorities in road infrastructure development.
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