No fewer than seven persons have lost their lives in a fatal multiple crash at the Old Toll Gate, Ota, along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, prompting the Ogun State Government to order an immediate investigation into the tragedy.
The accident, which occurred at about 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, involved an articulated vegetable oil tanker with registration number EKY 913 YH and two other vehicles.
Preliminary findings indicate that the tanker suffered a mechanical brake failure while navigating the busy toll gate corridor, leading the driver to lose control and ram into other vehicles and bystanders.
The Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that seven adults, six men and one woman, died in the crash, while two others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Spokesperson for the sector command, Afolabi Odunsi-Oyewole, disclosed in a statement that FRSC rescue teams swiftly evacuated the victims to Ota General Hospital. He said the injured are currently receiving treatment, while the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the Ifo General Hospital morgue.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the articulated vehicle suffered mechanical brake failure while navigating the busy toll gate area. The driver subsequently lost control and rammed into other vehicles and bystanders,” the statement read.
Reacting to the development, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun condemned what he termed as reckless driving habits by some truck operators plying the Sango-Ota corridor. He described the incident as painful, avoidable and unacceptable.
“The loss of innocent lives due to preventable negligence is one too many,” the governor said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade.
Abiodun directed an immediate probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash, vowing that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
He also called for heightened vigilance and stricter enforcement by security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the FRSC, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, to forestall a recurrence along the high-traffic corridor.
The Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Lawal Adewale Wasiu, visited the scene shortly after the incident to commiserate with victims’ families and receive briefings from security operatives coordinating rescue efforts.
He reiterated the need for strict adherence to traffic regulations and cautioned against roadside trading and other activities that expose commuters to avoidable danger.
In a preventive move, the council chairman ordered the immediate removal of illegal traders occupying road verges around the Old Toll Gate and pledged the council’s full support for enforcement operations.
Meanwhile, the Sector Commander, Corps Commander Akinwunmi Fasakin, urged motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, to ensure thorough mechanical checks before embarking on any journey.
The Ogun State Government reaffirmed its resolve to intensify road safety enforcement measures and safeguard lives and property across the state, especially along critical transport corridors such as the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
