Dare Babalola
A yet-to-be-identified woman has been confirmed dead following an accident involving two iron-rod-laden flatbed Iveco trucks in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The incident was confirmed by Adebayo Taofiq, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in a statement he signed on Saturday.
Taofiq said the accident happened at Ita Oluwo, Ikorodu, a boundary corridor linking Lagos and Ogun States, and resulted in the death of a woman, severe injuries, and large-scale vehicle destruction.
He said, “Preliminary investigations conducted by LASTMA operatives reveal that the fatal collision stemmed from a critical mechanical failure specifically, brake failure on the part of one of the trucks YA 701 AAA, which was reportedly travelling at excessive speed.
“The uncontrolled vehicle ploughed forcefully into another truck ahead of it on the same route, resulting in a collision of terrifying magnitude. The thunderous impact not only reduced both vehicles to mangled steel but also induced widespread panic among motorists and residents in the vicinity.
“In the harrowing aftermath, an unidentified woman was tragically caught and trapped between the two articulated vehicles. Through a swift, expertly coordinated rescue effort led by LASTMA personnel, and supported by operatives of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), and officers of the Nigeria Police, the trapped victim was extricated from the wreckage. She was subsequently evacuated by officers from Ogijo Police Division and rushed to the morgue at Ogun State University Teaching Hospital (OSUTH), Sagamu.”
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged road users in the state to comply with safety protocols.
He commiserated with the bereaved family, describing the incident as a painful yet powerful reminder of the perils of mechanical delinquency and reckless vehicular operation on public roads.
“This appalling tragedy highlights the urgent necessity for unyielding compliance with road safety protocols, particularly for operators of articulated trucks conveying hazardous and high-density cargo.
“It is particularly disheartening that incidents of this nature, which are avoidable through due diligence and professional discipline, persist due to mechanical neglect and irresponsible speeding,” Bakare-Oki said.
He affirmed the Lagos State Government’s unrelenting resolve through LASTMA and allied enforcement agencies to uphold traffic regulations without compromise, especially in circumstances where public safety is imperiled by corporate or driver negligence.
The General Manager further called on haulage firms and logistics operators to institutionalize routine mechanical diagnostics, enforce mandatory driver certification, and verify psychological fitness before assigning operators to heavy-duty freight vehicles.
He emphasised that roadworthiness is not optional, but obligatory for those entrusted with the operation of high-risk transport equipment.
He stated, “Thanks to the tireless intervention of emergency responders, the collision site has since been cleared and normal traffic flow fully restored along the affected stretch of the Lagos-Ogun axis.
“LASTMA continues to implore all road users especially operators of long-haul trucks and articulated vehicles to observe all regulatory speed limits, obey directional signage, and report any mechanical anomalies prior to embarking on any journey.”
