Movement at the Berger axis of Lagos came to a standstill on Saturday morning as security operatives blocked access routes into the state ahead of the 2025 local government elections.
At about 7:32 a.m., a Punch correspondent observed long queues of vehicles and stranded commuters after a combined team of police officers and Federal Road Safety Corps personnel set up barricades to enforce movement restrictions. Military operatives were also seen patrolling the area.
The enforcement led many passengers to abandon vehicles and trek long distances to reach their destinations.
Several Lagos residents expressed frustration over the situation, saying they were not aware of the movement restrictions tied to the election.
One of the stranded passengers, who said he had just arrived from Port Harcourt, was heading to Ikeja but was denied passage by security agents.
“We didn’t know there was an election today. We just arrived from Port Harcourt and need to get to Ikeja,” he said.
The Lagos State Police Command had earlier announced a restriction on movement from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to ensure a peaceful voting process across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas.