A devastating road crash in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, has claimed the life of a female student writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), while another remains in critical condition after a truck lost control and rammed into them.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon along the recently rehabilitated Ikangba/Agoro Road, shortly after the students had finished their exam at Seico Secondary School and were on their way home.
Witnesses said the truck, heading from the Molipa axis, veered off its lane for reasons yet to be ascertained. It struck the students before crashing into the fence of a Redeemed Christian Church of God situated by the roadside.
“It was horrifying. The students were still holding their question papers,” recounted Mr. Eko Nicholas, a community leader and chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR). “One of them died immediately, a young girl. Another was severely injured. We are praying she survives.”
Nicholas, who decried the poor safety measures on the road, attributed the increasing spate of accidents to the absence of traffic-calming features like speed breakers and streetlights.
“This is not the first time. Since February, six people have lost their lives here. How many more must die before the government acts?”
“We have called on the state government several times to install speed bumps and lights. Many schools sit along this road, and children walk it daily,” he queried.
The tragedy has drawn fresh outrage in the community, with parents and residents demanding urgent intervention from the state government to prevent further loss of young lives.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, said: “Yes, the incident was confirmed by our officers. One school pupil unfortunately died.”
