Motorists, Residents Stranded as Over 100 Cows Bring Calabar-Itu Highway to Standstill (Photos)

• Traffic was brought to a standstill along the Calabar-Itu highway after more than 100 cattle spread across the busy road, leaving motorists stranded and commuters expressing concerns over safety.

A herd of more than 100 cattle took over a major section of the Calabar-Itu highway on Tuesday evening, causing heavy traffic and panic among motorists and commuters.

The incident occurred around the Itu axis of the busy highway linking Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, where the cattle reportedly spread across both lanes and brought vehicular movement to a standstill.

The animals, which were being led by herders, moved slowly along the highway despite repeated horn blasts from motorists.

Several vehicles were left stranded as drivers waited for the cattle to clear the road.

A commercial driver, Etim Bassey, described the situation as unfortunate and called for stronger measures to regulate the movement of herders along major highways.

“It was a terrible experience. We spent almost an hour in one spot. The herders were walking behind without control. Some cows were even lying on the road,” Bassey said.

Another commuter, Mrs Rosemary Ukpong, who was travelling from Uyo to Calabar, said encounters with cattle on the road had become frequent.

“This Calabar-Itu road is now a grazing field. Every week you must meet them. What if there is an emergency? Government should do something about open grazing on this highway. It’s too dangerous,” she said.

Another commercial driver, Aniekan Lazarus, said motorists had to make dangerous manoeuvres to avoid colliding with the animals.

A senior immigration officer travelling to Calabar, who requested anonymity, also expressed concern over the incident and called on the Federal Government to take action.

“The Federal Government should act swiftly in this kind of situation. We cannot be waiting to salute cows while they are taking over major federal roads. This is very sad and annoying. In fact, it is a slap on our leaders and everyone in the corridors of power,” he said.

The presence of the cattle disrupted movement along the highway and resulted in a backlog of vehicles.

As of the time of the report, the cattle had reportedly been moved off the highway, but traffic was still building up as motorists attempted to clear the backlog created by the incident.