A dispatch rider has lost his life in a fatal road accident along the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway in Lagos after a fully loaded diesel tanker rammed into his motorcycle.
The incident, which occurred under the Cele Bridge corridor, was confirmed by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to the agency, the tanker struck the motorcycle with force, trapping the rider beneath the heavy-duty vehicle. The victim was said to have died on the spot.
The statement, signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, noted, “Security reports indicated that the tanker violently rammed into the dispatch motorcycle, causing the rider to be trapped underneath the tanker. He died instantly.”
Officials of LASTMA were said to have swiftly moved to the scene, where they secured the area using cones and cautionary tape to prevent further accidents and protect other road users.
The agency added that the tanker involved in the crash had been impounded, while the driver fled the scene immediately after the incident.
Police operatives from the Ijesha Division later arrived at the scene and took over investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
LASTMA disclosed that the remains of the deceased rider, alongside the damaged motorcycle and the impounded tanker, had been handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The body of the victim was subsequently evacuated to a morgue in Yaba.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sympathy with the bereaved family, describing the development as “deeply distressing.”
He urged the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and ensure that justice is served.
