By Mardiyyah Abubakar
A fatal road crash at the Saapade Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State has claimed the lives of ten people, leaving six others with various degrees of injuries.
Confirming the incident in a statement, Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Afolabi Odunsin, said the crash involved a white Sinotruk truck with an unknown registration number and a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number EKY 290 YM.
According to him, eighteen people were involved in the crash, including fifteen adult men, two adult women, and one male child.
He said the accident claimed the lives of nine adult men and one male child. Four adult men and two adult women sustained varying degrees of injuries, while two adult men escaped unharmed.
Preliminary investigations showed that speeding, wrongful overtaking, and dangerous driving caused the crash.
The FRSC said the truck driver allegedly reversed on the highway after missing his route. An approaching bus, travelling at high speed, tried to squeeze through the limited space but crashed into the truck.
FRSC rescue teams responded quickly and took the injured victims to Victory Hospital, Ogere, for treatment. Officials deposited the bodies of the deceased at FOS Mortuary, Ipara.
Police officers from the Ishara Division took custody of the damaged vehicles, while authorities arranged their evacuation from the scene.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished those receiving treatment a speedy recovery.
He also warned motorists, especially commercial drivers and truck operators, against reversing on highways, speeding, dangerous driving, and other traffic violations.
The FRSC urged all road users to obey traffic rules, maintain safe speeds, and use designated turning points whenever they miss their routes, stressing that these simple measures can help prevent avoidable deaths on Nigeria’s highways.
