At least eight people lost their lives, while 11 others sustained injuries in a fatal road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the NASFAT turning point on Thursday afternoon.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, stating that the crash occurred at about 3.00 p.m. and involved a Mazda commercial bus and a Volvo truck.
According to the TRACE spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, eyewitness accounts indicated that the Volvo truck attempted a U-turn towards the Ibadan-bound lane when it was rammed by the speeding Mazda bus.
“Twenty-one persons were involved in the accident. Eight people died on the spot, 11 sustained varying degrees of injuries, while two adult males escaped unhurt,” Akinbiyi said.
Emergency response teams drawn from TRACE, the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Ogun State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were immediately deployed to the scene to carry out rescue and recovery operations.
Four of the injured victims were taken to the State Hospital, Abeokuta, while seven others received medical attention at FAMOBIS Hospital in the Lotto area.
The wreckage of both vehicles was later evacuated and taken to the RCCG Police Station, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at a nearby morgue.
The accident has once again raised concerns over reckless driving and dangerous manoeuvres along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major transport corridor that has continued to record fatal crashes despite repeated safety warnings from road safety authorities.