Ogun Crime Watch has urged the Nigeria Police Force to invite Nollywood actor Kunle Afod for questioning over his video concerning Friday’s accident at Saapade on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The group accused Afod of circulating what it described as misleading information about the emergency response to the crash and questioned the timing of his intervention.
In a statement signed by its President, Olumide Martin, Ogun Crime Watch said the state emergency response team arrived at the accident scene at 12:28 p.m., while Afod reportedly published his video at 12:29 p.m.
The group said the one-minute difference raised questions about the actor’s claim that victims had waited for about 20 minutes without emergency assistance.
Afod had shared a video from the scene in which he appealed to the Ogun State Government, the Federal Road Safety Corps and other emergency agencies to assist injured victims. He said he had been at the scene for about 20 minutes without seeing an ambulance or emergency personnel.
However, the Ogun State Government subsequently disputed the account, saying a passerby reported the accident at 12:18 p.m. at the FRSC point in Ogere, where a state ambulance was stationed. According to the government, the ambulance and FRSC personnel reached the scene at 12:28 p.m. after navigating the expressway and turning onto the opposite carriageway.
Ogun Crime Watch said the timeline warranted an investigation into when Afod recorded the video and whether his comments accurately reflected the situation at the time they were published.
It also alleged that the actor’s video could create a negative impression of the state’s emergency management system and undermine public confidence in the response agencies.
The group further alleged that Afod’s intervention had political undertones and claimed that it appeared consistent with partisan political communication. It urged the police to establish the facts and determine whether any law was breached in the dissemination of the information.
Ogun Crime Watch stressed that its demand for police intervention was not aimed at restricting Afod’s freedom of expression or his right to criticise government.
Rather, it said public figures had a responsibility to ensure accuracy when commenting on emergencies involving human lives, warning that unverified claims could cause panic and undermine confidence in emergency responders.
The crash involved a Mazda bus carrying 18 passengers which reportedly suffered a tyre burst before hitting a concrete barrier along the Saapade axis of the expressway. Thirteen passengers were initially reported injured and evacuated to hospitals for treatment.
A later report by Punch said one of the injured passengers, who had been taken to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, subsequently died.
Government officials said police officers, FRSC personnel and operatives of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency were involved in the rescue operation. The state also said victims were taken to hospitals, with those requiring more serious treatment transferred to OOUTH, Sagamu.
Ogun Crime Watch commiserated with the victims and their families and called for a speedy recovery for those still receiving treatment.
The organisation also advised motorists to observe speed limits, avoid dangerous driving, maintain their vehicles properly and comply with road safety regulations.
It urged celebrities, influencers and other public figures to verify information before publishing claims about emergencies, saying irresponsible commentary could mislead the public at moments when accurate information is critical.
As of the latest available reports, there was no confirmation from the police that Afod had been invited for questioning.
