Mine was on effurun sapele Road in Delta state, I was returning from a meeting in benin, was driving my 3 weeks old corolla at the time, probably doing between 100 and 120 kmph, I had noticed the pothole quite late but couldn't swerve because a bus was trying to over take me at the same moment so I just braced for impact. Front right tire completely damaged beyond repair, lost 3 wheel covers. The dumb ass bus driver didn't even slow down talk less of stopping. At this time, I'd never changed tires before so it was a sordid experience, passers by helped me out in the end though.

I ran into one coming out of lagos. Descending berger hill and just before the opic estate there used to be one big pothole. My front axle was damaged and my car immobilised; I was left at the mercy of other cars speeding down oblivious of the same ditch. Infact while standing there another car in a desperate bid to avoid the ditch almost ran into my stationary car. Really very scary. I eventually got some mechanic across who helped me managed get the vehicle to their workshop and used the opportunity to extort big money from me for repair.
The same mechanic would later relate their experience of how an suv has had a terrible accident a week earlier at the same spot. Anytime I think about the incidence now, I always thank God for his mercies. Their is indeed thin line between life and death and our society doesn't seem to care about life at all. If not that pothole would not have been allowed at that point for a day.

buharimustlive:
Confirmed...
The southern part of Nigeria has the worst federal government road.
The best federal roads are in the north.

Which North?

Our Federal roads are generally a mess.

connkg:
How did you resist the urge to immediately stop and inspect?
Riding beside my elder brother along Choba road to Rumuokoro roundabout (Bayelsa to PH road) years ago, he ran into a pothole on high speed in the dark. The incident actually dented the non-alloy rim. Car rode rough until rim was replaced.

Because the vehicle appeared to have survived the impact, didn't switch off, nothing changed at the time or so it seemed

I was still dazed

it is an experience that must not happen twice!

God saved me that the bush by the road had no trees, that they were no individuals at the time, and that no house was built quiet close to the road

I was actually scared that I had destroyed the control arms or any part of the steering mechanism

cocaineaddict:
GOOD MORNING BIAFRA AND NIGERIA. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE

Good morning Biafranian. It is obvious you are high on cocaine.

GMBuhari:
Damn you don't want to know how high my car was in the air when I ran into a pothole @166km/h 2:05 Am some years back
It's the same notorious Gbongan road about to get to Gbongan junction all the way from Lagos can you imagine?
I had a friend in the car, he was woken by airbag, the next thing he did was try to open the door meanwhile I was ~1.6M in the air and cruising for about 3 seconds in the same altitude
As a bad sharp guy, I held my steering wheel with one hand and jacked his clothe, his collar , I would have gone for his belt but I guess I didn't think of that

Long story short my German Rover 400 landed with a loud bang, steering was hard and my was heading for the bushes, so I summoned my last strength and started steering away from the bushes, God was by my side as the car did not eventually go into the forest that night
Upon inspection, I had a cracked bottom plate, condemned steering rack and lowerarm+ball joint(driver side) destroyed

I wasn't grateful for the minor damages which could have been worse , I was grateful and I'm still grateful that I managed to somehow stop my friend from jumping out of the car, I probably would have landed on his head or he would have been smashed by the pencil carry coming behind me (oh and that pencil? Saw my car flying and left his steering wheel, the gearbox, steering rack, bumper and the sexy drop light, everything came apart on impact,

I have since fallen in love with Rover and I use just Rover till this day, even influenced some friends to buy too
Let's thank God for life (for those who believe)

What make and model of Rover is this please?

Quite a number. Last one, still battling with repairs.
Bmw e39.
I feel it may be a bit deserved.

I took an alternate route on my way back from work to avoid traffic along the express.

I was doing above limit speed in a residential area, flashing lights and honking like I was 007.

The pothole came from nowhere, well kinda.

I must have taken this route like a zillion times yet I unfortunately forgot about the pothole.

The car flew, at least four feet high and landed with a thundering gbam!

The rest is not history..

buharimustlive:
Confirmed...
The southern part of Nigeria has the worst federal government road.
The best federal roads are in the north.

TRue!

I traveled to Asaba by road last Thursday on official duty having been disappointed by Arik Air.

I discovered a very big man hole on a spot along Ore-Benin road;
All vehicles plying that route will practically come to a halt on getting to that spot.

What dazed me was the number of people doing street trading on that spot.
There is not type of stuff you'll not see there; people roasting Boli, frying plantain chips..., (these they do inside the bush opposite the spot)
Hawkers of various food items like banana, gala, bottled water, groundnuts etc.

I became very curious and asked the driver what was going on?
He said that at night, these Nigerian hawkers will come to the spot and dig the pothole afresh so that they'll not go off business

Una see our life!

Mine was couple of years ago. Was driving a client to go inspect a car at Ikeja and I joined the lagos-abeokuta expressway. Driving at top speed cos the road was pretty free, I didn't realize a portion of the road had gotten so bad and had a big ditch. Ran into it speed and the vehicle was on its way(few inches) to crashing against the demarcator on the road, after lifting off the ground a bit. Was lucky to steer it back with quick reflex. The client in the vehicle almost passed out. Everything happened within few seconds and I was lucky it was daylight. If it was at night, it would have been disastrous cos that road was poorly lit at night back then.

It's Easter morning, Ilesa Expressway, riding the steeps and slopes of that undulating road enjoying a Sunday morning drive. Just approaching the brow of one of the steeps, there's a suicidal Okada man in the middle of the road trying to jump-start his bike, I had just 1.53 seconds to react, steer right and turn the Okada man into a massive pulp of road kill or steer left and hope for the best.

I steer left and my troubles started. First I ran off the road and into massive dirt pothole, sent my car and everything in it into the air, while suspended in mid air, I catch a glimpse of my passenger frozen in her seat, probably thinking if this is how it's all going to end. The car lands on all fours, shoots back unto the road and starts starts sliding all over the place like a slippery eel out of water, passenger side of the car is in the air and I'm balancing on just the two driver's side tyres praying to God that this car does not tip over.

I managed to gain some control and steer the car to the other side of the road facing oncoming vehicles where I then ran into another pot hole that eventually grounded the car. There's the smell of burnt rubber everywhere, red dust in the air, the contents of my car is everywhere.

Phew, villagers are everywhere congratulating me, giving me free water and squeezing my hands like long lost friends, I'm just mad asking for the whereabouts of the Okada man. He was gone, faster than a bullet out of a gun.

Lessons, stay alert at all times, reduce speed when approaching the brow of a steep as you can't see what's ahead, keep all loose items in the trunk as they can act as projectiles in high impact crashes and never give up control of the car - you drive it till the end even if the end is a fantastic blaze of fire and twisted metal.

Be safe out there.

Lilimax:
I traveled to Asaba by road last Thursday on official duty having been disappointed by Arik Air.

I discovered a very big man hole on a spot along Ore-Benin road;
All vehicles plying that route will practically come to a halt on getting to that spot.

What dazed me was the number of people doing street trading on that spot.
There is not type of stuff you'll not see there; people roasting Boli, frying plantain chips..., (these they do inside the bush opposite the spot)
Hawkers of various food items like banana, gala, bottled water, groundnuts etc.

I became very curious and asked the driver what was going on?
He said that at night, these Nigerian hawkers will come to the spot and dig the pothole afresh so that they'll not go off business

Una see our life!

No wonder

Thelonius:
It's Easter morning, Ilesa Expressway, riding the steeps and slopes of that undulating road enjoying a Sunday morning drive. Just approaching the brow of one of the steeps, there's a suicidal Okada man in the middle of the road trying to jump-start his bike, I had just 1.53 seconds to react, steer right and turn the Okada man into a massive pulp of road kill or steer left and hope for the best.

I steer left and my troubles started. First I ran off the road and into massive dirt pothole, sent my car and everything in it into the air, while suspended in mid air, I catch a glimpse of my passenger frozen in her seat, probably thinking if this is how it's all going to end. The car lands on all fours, shoots back unto the road and starts starts sliding all over the place like a slippery eel out of water, passenger side of the car is in the air and I'm balancing on just the two driver's side tyres praying to God that this car does not tip over.

I managed to gain some control and steer the car to the other side of the road facing oncoming vehicles where I then ran into another pot hole that eventually grounded the car. There's the smell of burnt rubber everywhere, red dust in the air, the contents of my car is everywhere.

Phew, villagers are everywhere congratulating me, giving me free water and squeezing my hands like long lost friends, I'm just mad asking for the whereabouts of the Okada man. He was gone, faster than a bullet out of a gun.

Lessons, stay alert at all times, reduce speed when approaching the brow of a steep as you can't see what's ahead, keep all loose items in the trunk as they can act as projectiles in high impact crashes and never give up control of the car - you drive it till the end even if the end is a fantastic blaze of fire and twisted metal.

Be safe out there.

I was goin downhill, the road was good or so it seemed

So I tried to make up for lost time by speeding up only to be greeted by this pothole that was not so visible from afar pothole

But I never left my steering for one second

I held it straight while the vehicle was shooting for the nearby house, when I was sure it was on the ground and I knew where it was headed, I made two or three steering inputs/corrections and got back on the road

I believe I survived because I was fortunate first and foremost

Second, I had broken away from the pack of vehicles behind

Third, they were no vehicles coming in front

Fourth, I made no panic-induced steering adjustments that would upset the vehicle or attempted to defy the laws of physics

Fifth, I never gave up control of the steering at any time

Sixth, my suspension was in order

I know that if I had stopped, I would have been congratulated also.

My fellow travelers were shocked at the control I exerted over the incident.

I love your closing words: never give up control of the car - you drive it till the end even if the end is a fantastic blaze of fire and twisted metal.

Mehnn these stories are sweet and genuine.

Well my experience was with my dad, we were travelling from PH to my village mbaise with his Volvo 240 in the night. Just after osisioma there were two potholes about 1ft deep in the middle of the road. Not sure what speed my dad was on, but he ran into the first pothole with great effect while shaking his head in disappointment 3 seconds later another pothole yet again. This bent the rim of right front wheel and also the camber.

Since i bought my corolla haven't jumped into any pothole. I certainly don't wish to... Its really a bad experience.

Always drive defensively, no loud music, limit your speed to 100km/hr on road your not familiar with, be at alert and be patient to overtake. Don't be too quick to total that ride.

Merry Christmas Guys. Drive Safely

colossus2:

Omo

My brother na so we see am o
I had another experience last year with a Mercedes Benz CLK230 2001 model.
I was suppose to get to Uyo, but I took the coupe from Lagos Amuwo Origin at 5pm, hoping to stop at Saba that night and then continuing the next day.
After sagamu interchange, it became dark, turn on headlamp and discovered they were pointing skywards na there my horror started.
Drove at a speed of 80km/h till I slammed a huge crater just on a bridge in Edo around Okada area that was when my brakes began to feel spongy. Still continued stubbornly till I got to Ehor trailer park just where the trucks park along the expressway at 9:32pm. I went into a very huge crater head on at 80km/h, car flew up and landed with a huge crash, engine went off, all lights went off, came down, used the flash on my phone to trace what happened, Boom! The damn aluminium engine oil sump had a gaping hole.
Car became immobilized.

last year was driving on Lagos badagry express way, it was on a sunny afternoon, I was on my way to badagry, there was this big pot hole before oko Afo, I knew that pot hole was there coz I have been driving that road for a while, I was on 90km/hr in a Nissan Altima, with other vehicles around me, I was tryin to overtake an LT bus and totally forgot the pot hole was there, I did not attempt to slow down when I saw what was coming. bounced once, jumped for about 2 secs. the outcome, dented rim, had to park and was searching for my wheel cover for almost 15min. I eventually replaced the driver side front tyre, really thank God I came out unhurt and with little damage to the car, I don't do more than 60 on that road again coz it's now worse than before

mine was on Ilesha- Ibadan expressway ,ran into a crater at 140km/hr in 2015
while overtaking a bus

had a burst tire and the rim was condemned , luckily for me,I didn't press the brakes

good thing is,my car is a Volkswagen golf ..parts are pretty cheap

safe , defensive driving is the way forward

whirlwind7:


What make and model of Rover is this please?

Rover 400,


I rocked Rover 75 2000, and then Rover 75 2004

Thelonius:
It's Easter morning, Ilesa Expressway, riding the steeps and slopes of that undulating road enjoying a Sunday morning drive. Just approaching the brow of one of the steeps, there's a suicidal Okada man in the middle of the road trying to jump-start his bike, I had just 1.53 seconds to react, steer right and turn the Okada man into a massive pulp of road kill or steer left and hope for the best.

I steer left and my troubles started. First I ran off the road and into massive dirt pothole, sent my car and everything in it into the air, while suspended in mid air, I catch a glimpse of my passenger frozen in her seat, probably thinking if this is how it's all going to end. The car lands on all fours, shoots back unto the road and starts starts sliding all over the place like a slippery eel out of water, passenger side of the car is in the air and I'm balancing on just the two driver's side tyres praying to God that this car does not tip over.

I managed to gain some control and steer the car to the other side of the road facing oncoming vehicles where I then ran into another pot hole that eventually grounded the car. There's the smell of burnt rubber everywhere, red dust in the air, the contents of my car is everywhere.

Phew, villagers are everywhere congratulating me, giving me free water and squeezing my hands like long lost friends, I'm just mad asking for the whereabouts of the Okada man. He was gone, faster than a bullet out of a gun.

Lessons, stay alert at all times, reduce speed when approaching the brow of a steep as you can't see what's ahead, keep all loose items in the trunk as they can act as projectiles in high impact crashes and never give up control of the car - you drive it till the end even if the end is a fantastic blaze of fire and twisted metal.

Be safe out there.

You be literature student?

Have had a lot of horrid moment on Niga road,but the one that shook me most was on my way to PH in 2007.Left lagos around 7am but was not able to get even up to shagamu until around 2pm because of the numerous churches on the express that were having their programs.Had some problems with fan blades before benin.By the time i got to benin it was almost 7pm,it was along effurun sapele road after Sapele that i ran into this porthole around 8pm it was so bad that i taught someone hit my head with an hammer.the front passenger Tyre blasted,that was when i knew alloy rim can break as the Rim cracked and broke.I and my colleague were contemplating not going ahead with the journey but we say we must reach PH that day,we bought an old rim and Tyre from a vulcanizer since we cannot rely on the spare.Na so we continue the journey till we got to Warri around 9pm en route to PH,it becoming hard to see well because of other incoming vehicles so we followed one EOD using its back indicating light as a guide.the guy taught we were armed robbers so he was speeding so much that we were almost on 160km/hr at one point.There was this very big porthole before imbiama.The EOD guy entered and the car somersaulted while i rammed into the porthole and its like i was airborne for eternity.by the time we landed my silencer was no where to be found up till today.my two front tyres were gone so was the engine seat.why god preserve our lives i dont know but since then i will always respect V6 Engines if not for the fact that the car was a v6. i dont know what would have happened.The EOD guy too survive but the car was a write-off.

BTT:
Plenty.

2011. Most expensive. Peugeot 207. Kaiama road (Kwara state) was with my heavily pregnant wife when I ran into a pothole. We were traveling from Lag and I was on like maybe 70km/hr because the road was untarred but that part was smooth. Just out of nowhere a pothole appeared! I ran into it and the car couldn't hold anymore. There was sand everywhere and anywhere I turned the steering it oversteered. Ended up in a yam farm after clearing heaps and stopped by a tree. Brand new car almost totalled. Thank God we came out unscathed.

October 2016. Infiniti G20 Was returning from Minna to Lagos. Full car with siblings and children. Had earlier lost my 2 back absorbers when I ran into a road bump without warning in a village after Boda. So I was deliberately careful of running into potholes because the bounce from the rear made steering correctly difficult when I run into bad spots. Somehow, I did just that. Ran into a pothole shortly before Ilorin and boom, I was Mr Criss Cross on the highway. We ended in the bush on the other side. Thank God there was no trailer or dangerous ditch while that madness lasted. I replaced those shocks in Ilorin before proceeding with the trip.

Sunday Dec 18. Returning from Zaria. Infiniti G20. Somewhere between Mokwa and Jebba. I knew the road was bad but there were some spots one can express the drive. I swayed right, left, right ... nowhere because all the ditches have successfully spread themselves across the road. The car was borne mid air. Usually when I find ditches like that, I increase by speed and firmly hold my steering, but this caught me. When the car landed, the wipers were auto-working, the plastic frame between the windscreen and the driver's door had removed, my front tires became wobbly.

I am a survivor. And I give God all the glory for that.

Sorry to say sir but you're a very bad and reckless driver. I think you need to allow more mature coolheaded drivers retrain you before taking the steering again, if not, I strongly advise you dont take passengers with you. Haba only you all these incidents?

ogbiwa:


Sorry to say sir but you're a very bad and reckless driver. I think you need to allow more mature coolheaded drivers retrain you before taking the steering again, if not, I strongly advise you dont take passengers with you. Haba only you all these incidents?

Not offended. But if you are a regular 'Ajala', you increase the chances of these happenings. 'How many I wan count'.

I earnestly thank you for your kind concern though. And I opine that you are wrong nonetheless.

#TraveLandSea

BTT:


Not offended. But if you are a regular 'Ajala', you increase the chances of these happenings. 'How many I wan count'.

I earnestly thank you for your kind concern though. And I opine that you are wrong nonetheless.

#TraveLandSea

I appreciate your mature response. I simply mean that it is just too coincidental that all these incidences occured to you alone. It simply cannot be just a function of the road alone cos most of us, myself included, drive these roads very regularly and I personally have never had to find myself in the bush one day. Am I saying that is all down to my expertise on the wheels? no. Spare a thought for public transport drivers who drive these bad roads sometimes 5 times every week and some have been doing it for years with little or no such stories. If you've had all these stories alone then I'm saying you should probably look at another likely cause other than the bad road.

And the one that occured with a heavily pregnant woman on board gave me the chills bro. Somethings cannot just be left to chance and explained away with bad roads bro.

BTW I have no idea what ajala means

ogbiwa:


I appreciate your mature response. I simply mean that it is just too coincidental that all these incidences occured to you alone. It simply cannot be just a function of the road alone cos most of us, myself included, drive these roads very regularly and I personally have never had to find myself in the bush one day. Am I saying that is all down to my expertise on the wheels? no. Spare a thought for public transport drivers who drive these bad roads sometimes 5 times every week and some have been doing it for years with little or no such stories. If you've had all these stories alone then I'm saying you should probably look at another likely cause other than the bad road.

And the one that occured with a heavily pregnant woman on board gave me the chills bro. Somethings cannot just be left to chance and explained away with bad roads bro.

BTW I have no idea what ajala means

I totally agree with you.

Ajala is the metaphor for someone who is always on the move - traveling. I think it stemmed from a particular Colonial period Nigerian, by the name Ajala, who travelled many European countries on bicycle. 'Ajala travel' is a common analogy for people with any such mobile attitude.

Again, thank you. I will always remember you when I'm on the highway. Cheers bro.

So my oil pan had a crack that ran from the side closest to the driver/passenger cabin down the side up to about 20mm on its bottom, but it was only leaking by the side and not the bottom!

Pictures later

I was very fortunate, how fortunate time will tell

buharimustlive:
Confirmed...
The southern part of Nigeria has the worst federal government road.
The best federal roads are in the north.

Courtesy of Osama BinHary when he was the PTF chairman.

Had just one experience with a crazy pothole. My first drive from lagos to OAU Ife. I had driven safely all the way from lagos and was less than 5 minutes away from OAU just before an abandoned pedestrian bridge. Seeing some VIO officers ahead and without a driver's licence, I took advantage of an opening in the median to face oncoming vehicles. When I got past them, I looked back to see if they stopped the vehicle that was behind me.i was celebrating my narrow escape, my eyes still fixated on the VIO guys. I was on 120km/hr.by the time I got my eyes back on the road, I was right before the nasty ditch. Too late to apply the brakes, I braved the ditch holding on to my steering firmly. Seemed like I was suspended in the air for eternity. My ride hit the ground with a loud thump and two bounces. Bae and her friend behind me were frozen. Before I could say Jack Robinson, the same VIO guys were upon me trying to see if we were fine. Composed myself after some minutes and drove off. Luckily the only fix needed was the linkage in the driver's side. That further intensified my love for the Hyundai Tucson!!!

Had just one experience with a crazy pothole. My first drive from lagos to OAU Ife. I had driven safely all the way from lagos and was less than 5 minutes away from OAU just before an abandoned pedestrian bridge. Seeing some VIO officers ahead and without a driver's licence, I took advantage of an opening in the median to face oncoming vehicles. When I got past them, I looked back to see if they stopped the vehicle that was behind me.i was celebrating my narrow escape, my eyes still fixated on the VIO guys. I was on 120km/hr.by the time I got my eyes back on the road, I was right before the nasty ditch. Too late to apply the brakes, I braved the ditch holding on to my steering firmly. Seemed like I was suspended in the air for eternity. My ride hit the ground with a loud thump and two bounces. Bae and her friend behind me were frozen. Before I could say Jack Robinson, the same VIO guys were upon me trying to see if we were fine. Composed myself after some minutes and drove off. Luckily the only fix needed was the linkage in the driver's side. That further intensified my love for the Hyundai Tucson!!

I had to drive from Lagos to kano, my first time of driving the Lagos ibadan express way after the sagamu interchange. Just as I am a newbie on that road, around 5;30am, I followed a camry 2.2, which was following a 03-07 corolla, in a twinkle of an eye the corolla enter a mighty crater, followed by camry and my poor Nissan almera followed suit, with brake depressed.

The corolla lost two tires with dented rim, the camry lost one tyre with dented rim, well I didn't lose control but my rim bent a little, had to park and change it.

After ibadan going to the next state. I entered tons of potholes both on speed how the car managed to survive the journey was a mystery, the alignment was magnetized permanently to the left.

One lower control arm needs to be replaced!

Lost three days so far putting things back in shape.

I would rather take 3 hours from Calabar to Ugep than three days fixing pothole damage.

Yea I made it to Ugep in two hours but broke the car in the process.

I don't know if wild swerving counts
1
I was doing 120 with one compact 2001 civic,the road was almost uphill and it's dual traffic without demarcation , so I couldn't see ahead,the car I front of mine that I was chasing swerved wildly, i think say Oga don high, by the time to got to that spot, I swerved so badly that I almost dislocated my shoulder,I did manage to avoid the crater even though I ended in the bush and had to drive with my right hand till i got home

You guys should help me thank God o. It was about 7 weeks ago, precisely Saturday, November 12. I remember vividly cos I wanted to make it to church on Sunday and I needed to be in Osogbo that Saturday night cos service starts early.

I left Lagos around 8pm and managed to avoid the holes on Lagos ibadan expressway and up till ikire where wahala happened. You see, never underestimate these commercial buses o. I saw a commercial bus enter one way after ikire and though I knew why he did it: he knew pot holes were many on the normal lane, I just thought 'how bad can it be? Lemme just go jor'. Trust me, mistake of the night, thank God it was not mistake of my Life. About 20 seconds later, sure it was not up to a minute at that speed, I entered a mad hole and my tyre got wobbly. Front tyre torn. New doubleking wasted. See, long story short, I was on ikire-gbongan stretch at 10:30, alone, all by myself, no policeman in sight and no car ready to help. I was so scared, first thing I did was hide my Iphone and use my passport as torchlight while I changed the tyre.

I thank God I wasn't robbed, maimed or killed cos I. I would have disappeared without a trace. I had to do everything sharp sharp just to get out of there. And did I mention, all those policemen that stop cars during the day on expressway were nowhere to be found from ibadan till I got to osogbo that night. The whole stretch, no policeman in sight. I only saw an army checkpoint at gbongan. Only uniformed man I saw that night.


Advice 1, on roads u know are bad, do not overspeed.
Advice 2, trust those commercial buses sometimes, they know how to save time. I eventually got home at 1am with all he wahala
Advice 3, if you can, avoid night waka. Those holes are sometimes made by agents trying to rob you and take advantage of your misfortune


By the way, the stretch from ikire down to gbongan is now worse o. So be more careful. Some were filled, some were freshly made.