Severe flooding has submerged the already-collapsed Moro Bridge in Kwara State, stranding commuters and disrupting traffic along the Ilorin–Igbeti Federal Highway after overnight rainfall caused the Moro River to overflow.
According to PUNCH Newspaper, several vehicles were trapped in rising floodwaters on Monday, with some passengers seen climbing onto car roofs while awaiting rescue. The route is a major interstate corridor linking Kwara to Oyo State and onward toward the Benin border.
The bridge had already collapsed on April 30 after an articulated truck reportedly crossed the ageing structure. The latest flooding has worsened access, as the temporary diversion promised by the state government has not yet been completed.
Residents around the affected axis said economic activity has been hit hard, with transport costs rising and travel times increasing. A local trader, Kafayat, said the disruption had affected both businesses and commuters relying on the route.
The state’s Commissioner for Works, Abdulquawiy Olododo, had earlier said engineers were deployed to begin palliative work and that construction was continuing on a new bridge close to the failed structure. However, Monday’s flooding has raised fresh concerns over the pace of intervention.
The bridge, a colonial-era Bailey structure, has served as a key crossing between parts of Kwara and Oyo for decades, but has repeatedly undergone repairs due to structural defects. With the peak rainy season approaching, residents fear the situation could deteriorate further if urgent work is not completed.
