ECOWAS at 50: Commuters stranded as security officials lock down Victoria Island

Many motorists were on Wednesday morning trapped in a gridlock that lasted for hours after security officials blocked all access roads leading into Victoria Island in Lagos as Heads of State of countries under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) arrived Eko Hotels and Suites, venue of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS.

Checks by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that access roads like the Alfred Rewane Road in Ikoyi, Falomo Bridge also in Ikoyi, Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island were all blocked to traffic by security officials since 9 am on Wednesday, leaving many vehicles trapped in a gridlock that lasted for over four hours.

Many passengers of commercial vehicles were seen alighting from their vehicles and walking down to their destination as the gridlock persisted for hours while occupants of private vehicles remained in their vehicles, cursing and lamenting.

At the time of filing this report, all the roads leading into Victoria Island remained blocked to vehicular movement by security officials.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu left Abuja on Tuesday for Lagos to celebrate, along with other Heads of State the ECOWAS golden jubilee which was flagged off in Accra last month.

The Lagos events will include re-enacting the 1975 declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Victoria Island.

At the Eko Hotels and Suites event, President Tinubu, the Chairman of ECOWAS, will highlight the economic bloc’s milestones.

The Chairman of the NIIA and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, will review the bloc’s 50-year journey, which panelists at the NIIA will later analyse.

The only surviving Head of State who signed the ECOWAS declaration, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), will participate in all the ceremonies and deliver a speech at the Eko Hotels.

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