Kaduna-Abuja highway is now open for travellers who were held in a gridlock from the early hours of Friday.

The road was locked down for more than six hours with thousands of travellers stranded.

Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, in a statement Friday evening said the road had been cleared for travellers to continue with their journey.

Tanker drivers barricaded the road after a police officer shot a driver for allegedly refusing to give a bribe.

Aruwan said the state government commiserated with the family of the deceased driver and has directed police to thoroughly investigate the incident.

“In the early hours of today, a group of drivers blocked Kaduna-Abuja Road to protest the killing of their colleague by a policeman,” he said.

“However, grief and a sense of loss do not justify imposing such pains on other citizens as the protesting drivers have done by blocking a very busy public highway. They have left many people stranded for several hours and caused considerable distress.

“Kaduna State Government apologises to road users for the inconveniences caused by the hours-long blockade.

“The road has since been opened and the protesting drivers cleared. However, the standstill created by the blockage has resulted in a gridlock that will take hours to clear. The queue of stranded vehicles stretches for several kilometres.

“Therefore, the state government appeals to all persons travelling on the Kaduna-Abuja highway to patiently cooperate with efforts to clear the gridlock,” the commissioner said in the statement.

PT