LAGOS TO ONITSHA WITH EASE

Concerned by the increasing complaints about the pains of Nigerians plying the Lagos-Onitsha route, I decided to seize an opportunity on Wednesday, November 27, 2019 to find out the real situation. For complete experience, I traveled with one of the transporters at Jibowu. After an excruciating traffic along Redeemed Church corridor, we finally commenced the journey to Onitsha at 10:30am. By the time we arrived the Niger Bridge, I had counted 60 checkpoints. I was painstakingly taking notes and few shots. These checkpoints were manned by either soldiers, police, customs, SARS, FRSC or a combination. Below are the locations of the checkpoints to guide your next trip to Onitsha.

LAGOS TO ORE:

1. Ilisan – Police checkpoint just in front of Babcock University
2. Ilisan 2 – Another police check less than 300 meters after Babcock
3. Ijebu Ode toll gate – Customs
4. Ijebu Ife – Police
5. Ijebu Itele – Customs, FRSC and Army
6. Ijebu Itele 2 – Police and FRSC
7. Ijebu Itele 3 – Police
8. Ajebandele – Police
9. Ajebandele 2 – Police
10. Ajebandele 3 – Police and FRSC
11. Ajebandele 4 – Army, Police
12. Ajebandele 5; less than 100 meters – Police
13. Ajebandele 6; less than 40 meters – Police
14. Ajebandele 7 – Police
15. Ajebandele 8 – Police
16. Ajebandele 9 – Police
17. Akinfosile – Police
18. Omotosho – Army
19. Omotosho 2 – Police
20. Obatedo – Police
21. Orilewo – Police
22. Orilewo 2 – Customs
23. Orilewo 3 – Police
24. Orilewo 4 – Police
    ORE TO BENIN:
25. Ore 1 – Police
26. Ore 2 – Customs and Police
27. Ofosu – Army
28. Ofosu 2 – Police
29. Ofosu 3 – FRSC and Police
30. Ugbogui Town – Police
31. Okada – Customs and Police
32. Okada 2 – Police
33. Okada 3 – SARS
34. Okada 4 – Police
35. Okada 5 – Police
36. Okada 6 – SARS
37. Okada 7 – Army
38. Okada 8 – SARS
39. Okada 9 – SARS
40. Okada 10 – Police
41. Okada 11 – Police
42. Okada 12 – Police
43. Iwinosa – SARS
44. Benin toll gate – Customs, FRSC, SARS
45. Benin By-Pass – Police
46. Benin By-Pass 2 – SARS
47. Benin By-Pass 3 – Army
48. Ugoneki – Police
49. Ugoneki 2 – Police
50. Abudu – Customs
51. Abudu 2 – Army
52. Omumu-Agbor – Army, FRSC, Police and Customs
53. Agbor – Police
54. Ekwuoma – Police
55. Issele Uku – SARS
56. Issele Uku 2 – Police
57. Akwa Ukwu – Customs and Army
58. Ogwashi – Customs
59. Okpanam – Customs and Police
60. Onitsha Bridge head – Mopol

You can imagine what will happen in the next two weeks when my brothers and sisters begin their Christmas migration.

Tony Onyima