On the night of October 2, 2024, a devastating road accident occurred in the Abule Osun area of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, leading to the tragic loss of at least ten lives, including three children and seven adults. The incident took place around 11 PM, and it has left the community in shock and mourning.
According to a statement released by Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the accident involved a Toyota Sienna vehicle that was overloaded with passengers. The vehicle, traveling at high speed, collided with a stationary SHACMAN truck that had been parked along the road, obstructing approximately half of the carriageway.
Oke-Osanyintolu elaborated on the circumstances surrounding the accident, stating, “Upon our arrival at the scene of the accident at Abule Osun, inward Iyana Iba, it was discovered that the Toyota Sienna, registration number BDG 342 FS, was filled to capacity with passengers from the Eastern region of Nigeria. It struck the parked truck, which was carrying granite and had taken up a significant portion of the road.”
The unfortunate result of this collision was the loss of ten individuals, comprising three male adults, four female adults, two female children, and one male child. In addition to the fatalities, three other individuals suffered varying degrees of injuries. They were swiftly rescued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) before the arrival of the LASEMA response team and were subsequently transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The LASEMA team confirmed that the deceased would be handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for appropriate action. Moreover, the wreckage of the Toyota Sienna was recovered with the assistance of LASEMA’s Lite Tow Truck and taken to the FRSC station for further investigation.
This tragic event is not an isolated incident. Just days prior, on September 30, another accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway resulted in the deaths of two passengers who fell from a moving vehicle in the Mountain Top area. Eyewitness accounts indicated that the victims, who were in a long vehicle, stood up as they approached a bridge. Unfortunately, they did not account for the bridge’s height, which led to a collision and their subsequent fall from the vehicle.
The recent spate of accidents underscores the urgent need for increased road safety measures and public awareness campaigns to prevent such calamities in the future. As families mourn the loss of their loved ones, there remains a pressing call for authorities to address the persistent issues of reckless driving and inadequate road safety protocols on Nigeria’s highways.
In the wake of these tragedies, it is crucial for all road users to prioritize safety, adhere to traffic regulations, and remain vigilant while traveling, especially during night hours. The lives lost in these incidents serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of road safety.
