No fewer than 10 persons lost their lives while six others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fatal road crash involving a truck and a commercial bus at Saapade Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State on Sunday evening.
The crash, which occurred at about 8:05 p.m., involved a white Sinotruk (CNHTC) truck and a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number EKY 290 YM.
Spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Sector Command, Florence Okpe, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said 18 persons were involved in the accident, comprising 15 adult males, two adult females and one male child.
According to her, the victims included 10 fatalities, made up of nine adult males and one male child, while six others, including four adult males and two adult females, sustained injuries. Two adult males escaped unhurt.
The FRSC attributed the crash to excessive speeding, wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving.
Preliminary findings indicated that the truck driver attempted to reverse on the expressway after missing his route. The approaching bus, reportedly travelling at high speed, tried to manoeuvre through the narrow space created by the reversing truck but rammed into it.
FRSC rescue personnel responded promptly to the emergency, evacuating the injured victims to Victory Hospital, Ogere, for treatment, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara.
The crashed vehicles have been handed over to officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the Ishara Division, while arrangements have been made to clear them from the highway. Traffic has since returned to normal along the affected section of the road.
Reacting to the tragedy, Ogun State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, commiserated with the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He urged motorists, particularly commercial drivers and truck operators, to avoid reversing on highways, speeding, dangerous driving and other traffic violations that continue to claim lives on Nigerian roads.
Ogunjobi also advised road users to obey traffic regulations, maintain safe speeds and make use of designated turning points whenever they miss their routes, stressing that adherence to basic safety measures remains critical to reducing avoidable road crashes.
