A Nigerian court has sentenced a minibus driver to two months in prison for driving against the flow of traffic on the country’s busiest motorway. The conviction follows a major crackdown by a joint task force on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, a critical artery linking Nigeria’s economic hub to the rest of the country. The driver, identified as Koko Moses, was intercepted near the Kara–Opic axis while driving a Volkswagen bus. Authorities confirmed he was also operating the vehicle without a valid licence. In a rare move reflecting a toughening stance on road safety, the magistrate in the Ojodu-Abiodun district declined to offer the defendant a fine as an alternative to jail time.
A ‘dangerous practice’ Driving against traffic—locally known as “one-way”—has become a persistent problem on the expressway. The practice has been exacerbated by ongoing construction work on bridge expansion joints, which has led to significant bottlenecks. Frustrated by long delays, some motorists have taken to driving on the wrong side of the dual carriageway, leading to head-on collisions and increased gridlock.
Joint enforcement
The operation, which began on 10 February, saw a rare level of coordination between multiple agencies, including:
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
The Nigerian Army
The Nigeria Police Force
TRACE (the regional traffic management agency)”This sends a clear and uncompromising message that impunity on the nation’s highways will no longer be tolerated,” a spokesperson for the FRSC said in a statement.
Rising tensions on the road
Road safety officials noted that the “one-way” phenomenon is often a result of motorists trying to bypass construction zones. However, the FRSC has reiterated its “zero-tolerance” policy, warning that the risks of avoidable crashes far outweigh the time saved. The Corps Marshal commended the joint team, noting that the presence of security forces at notorious “flashpoints” led to an immediate reduction in traffic violations.
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