(FILE) Traffic gridlock

Commutters were stranded for about two hours from around 3pm to about 4:50 pm on Sunday as residents of Gidan Gayan village on Kaduna – Abuja expressway took to the highway in protest over alleged killing of a vigilante leader in the community by suspected armed robbers.

“The villagers blocked the road in protest of the killing of their vigilante leader by suspected armed robbers. Their action brought traffic to a halt with hundred of commuters stranded for hours, Umar Ibrahim, Commander, Kaduna State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said while confirming the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

Ibrahim explained that the incident caused vehicular gridlock that spanned up to 17 kilometres on the highway.

The sector commander advised motorists plying the highway to drive with caution, and said road marshals have been stationed to restore normalcy.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the police command, ASP Muktar Aliyu, also said normalcy had been restored after ACP Abdullahi Tijjani pacified the villagers.

“The situation is under control and normal traffic has been restored, ” Aliyu said.