Are you traveling to Benue through Oweto-Loko road? These are things you need to know(PHOTOS)

By Ameh Comrade Godwin

It was a Thursday morning. The sun was already out for the day’s duty. The day was bright; it was bright and indeed fair.

Our destination was Otukpo, the take off point was Abuja.

After routine checks by my mechanic on the vehicle in Kugbo, we kicked off the journey at about 8:12 am, navigating our way through the ever-busy Nyanya-Keffi road.

A look at one’s left hand side saw children of men trapped in the usual morning gridlock stretching from Masaka-Mararaba-Nyanya-Keffi via Kugbo to Abuja ‘Town’.

We drove our way through the already-fading Nyanya-Keffi highway and in less than 45 minutes, we were in Keffi and diverted to the heart of Angwa-Magudu, a single lane.

We danced our way through the cracky road to Angwan Daula, then Tamah.

Welcome to Nasarawa. The city is fast developing with social amenities. This is not surprising because it houses the State Polytechnic. You will see banks, hotels and other things found in ‘big’ cities.

Good bye from Nasarawa, welcome to Kama. The community is relatively calm as people could be seen going about their business.

After Kama, we drove for about 30 minutes before entering another large community, Kana, tractors could be seen with board inscription on a wood, ‘slow down, men at work.’

Another lonely drive of about 25 minutes from Kana, smooth road but no community or people in sight.

In Indo, another community by the road side, workers could be seen constructing gutters by both sides. Traders and hawkers could be seen struggling to make ends meet.

It was a dusty, lonely and bumpy ride from Udegi as the contractors are yet to touch down there. Those without air-conditioned car will never wish to drive through this portion.

This would take you for about roughly 1:30 minutes till the mouth of the bridge, which separate Loko and Oweto (Benue and Nasarawa).

Work is near completion on the bridge. Soldiers on guard waved at at us amid smile, we appreciated them with a token and stopped on the bridge for selfies.

The journey from Usha, Agatu to Otukpo Town would not last more than 1:30 minutes.

It is was all smooth ride from there through Ogbaulu.

 

One noticeable thing about this road is the zigzag nature. One would have to be careful to avoid colliding with oncoming vehicle.

By 12:10, were already in Otukpo, Nigeria’s acclaimed Texas City.

So, in 3 hours 50 minutes we drove from Abuja to Otukpo. Wonderful.

These communities will give you warm embrace as you drive through: Ogbaulu, Oshigudu, Akpete/Ojantele, Igoro, Ugbokpo, Ofoke, Igah-Okpaya, Ojinebe I and II Adoka Icho, Ogodumu, Ugboju Ehaje, Ogobia, Umotile, Okete, Olgewu Icho, Ankpechi then Otukpo

 

10 Quick things to note before you travel:

1. Police check points few from Keffi to Loko, but local vigilante mounts roadblocks
2. Few motorists on the road
3. No filling station the moment you are out of Nasarawa
4. No big restaurant along this route
5. No mechanic shop in sight, your vehicle must be in good condition before embarking on any trip
6. You car air-condition must be in a good state to enjoy the journey because of the dusty portions.
7. From Agatu to Otukpo, good road network but too much sharp bends.
8. Your motor papers must be complete; the policemen along this road are not friendly AT ALL.
9. If you are a lover of fish, you will see enough to buy on the bridge
10. Passing through this road is boring, but you will sure cut your journey by four hours.