No fewer than 10 people lost their lives while six others sustained injuries in a tragic road accident that occurred on Sunday night at Saapade Bridge along the Ibadan–Lagos Expressway.
The fatal crash happened at about 8:05 p.m. and involved a white Sinotruk (CNHTC) truck and a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus with registration number EKY 290 YM.
The Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the incident through its spokesperson, Afolabi Odunsi, in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the FRSC, a total of 18 people were involved in the accident, comprising 15 adult males, two adult females and one male child.
The agency disclosed that 10 victims, including nine adult males and one male child, died in the collision, while six others suffered varying degrees of injuries. Two adult male occupants escaped without injuries.
Odunsi explained that preliminary investigations indicated that excessive speed, wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving were responsible for the crash.
He further revealed that the truck driver allegedly attempted to reverse on the highway after missing his route, creating a hazardous situation for approaching motorists.
“The truck driver reportedly reversed on the highway after missing his direction, while the approaching bus, travelling at high speed, attempted to navigate through the limited space available and rammed into the truck,” the statement read.
FRSC rescue personnel responded swiftly to the emergency, evacuating the injured victims to Victory Hospital in Ogere for medical treatment.
The bodies of those who lost their lives were deposited at the FOS Mortuary in Ipara.
Odunsi added that officers of the Nigeria Police Force from the Ishara Division had taken custody of the vehicles involved in the crash while arrangements were made to remove them from the scene.
He confirmed that normal traffic flow had since been restored along the affected section of the expressway.
Reacting to the incident, the Ogun State FRSC Sector Commander, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, sympathised with the families of the deceased and wished those receiving treatment a speedy recovery.
He also urged motorists, particularly commercial drivers and truck operators, to avoid reversing on highways, excessive speeding and other dangerous driving practices capable of causing fatal accidents.
Ogunjobi stressed that drivers who miss their routes should use approved turning points instead of reversing on major highways, noting that strict adherence to traffic regulations would significantly reduce road crashes.
He reiterated that maintaining safe speeds and complying with road safety rules remain essential to protecting lives on Nigerian highways.
The latest accident comes just weeks after another fatal road incident in Lagos State, where a dispatch rider lost his life following a collision with a containerised articulated truck along the Ilupeju Bypass.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) had attributed that incident to a struggle for right of way between the dispatch rider and a commercial minibus, popularly known as “Korope.
