Dare Babalola
No fewer than four people lost their lives in a fatal road accident along the Ijebu-Imushin stretch of the Ijebu Ode–Ore Expressway in Ogun State late Monday night.
The crash, which occurred shortly after 11 p.m., involved a commercial Toyota Hiace bus and a heavy-duty truck owned by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the state, Afolabi Odunsi-Oyewole, said the accident happened at about 11:16 p.m. and claimed the lives of all occupants in the bus.
She explained that the victims comprised two men and two women, who died on the spot due to the severity of the impact.
According to her, preliminary findings indicated that excessive speed played a major role in the collision. She noted that the truck had broken down after a towing chain snapped, leaving it stranded on the highway.
“The bus, which was travelling at high speed, rammed into the stationary truck. The towing vehicle operator fled the scene immediately after the incident, abandoning the truck,” she said.
Odunsi-Oyewole added that emergency responders arrived promptly, reaching the crash site within minutes of being alerted. The bodies of the deceased were subsequently evacuated to a mortuary in Ijebu Ode.
She further disclosed that officers of the Nigeria Police Force have taken custody of the vehicles involved and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Reacting to the incident, the Ogun State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Akinwunmi Fasakin, cautioned motorists against reckless driving, particularly at night. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that towing equipment is properly secured to prevent similar tragedies.
In a related development, an earlier accident recorded on March 2 at Aiyetoro Junction in the Epe area of Lagos resulted in one death and left three others injured after a truck collided with a commercial tricycle while attempting a U-turn.
