The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reported that 20 individuals lost their lives in road traffic accidents on Sunday. According to a statement from the Corps Spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, eight fatalities occurred on the Ojuelegba Bridge in Lagos State, while another crash at Soka Bridge on the Lagos-Benin Highway resulted in 11 deaths. Corps Marshal Dauda Biu expressed deep concern over these tragic incidents and emphasized the need for improvements to the connecting roads under the bridge to accommodate all articulated vehicles.
In his statement, Biu highlighted the recurring container crashes on Ojuelegba Bridge, which have claimed numerous lives. He recommended the construction of barricades to prevent articulated vehicles—such as tankers, trucks, and trailers—from accessing the bridge as a permanent solution to these accidents. Additionally, he cautioned commuters about the dangers of route violations, commonly referred to as “One Way,” and the importance of adhering to legal speed limits on all roads.
Preliminary investigations into the crashes revealed that the Ojuelegba incident involved a Mack Truck carrying a 40-foot container, which was registered as KJA 380 KD. This truck was reportedly speeding and engaged in wrongful overtaking, colliding with a Suzuki mini bus registered as KTU 921 YD. In the case of the Soka Bridge accident, a truck was driven against traffic, leading to a collision with a Macopolo bus. The container from the Mack Truck at Ojuelegba fell onto the Suzuki mini bus, resulting in the deaths of nine passengers.
At the time of the report, 11 victims at Soka Bridge were burned beyond recognition, while the Ojuelegba crash involved a total of 13 individuals, including nine males and four females. Among the 13, nine were killed, consisting of five male adults, one male child, one female child, and two female adults. Of the four survivors from the Ojuelegba crash, two were rescued without injuries, while the other two sustained various degrees of injuries.
Corps Marshal Biu condemned the incidents and reiterated the necessity of barricading the bridge against articulated vehicles, citing the dangers posed by their continued use. He called for efforts to expand the connecting roads under the bridge to better accommodate these vehicles. The FRSC rescue teams, in collaboration with other emergency management agencies, have cleared the crash scenes to facilitate movement. The driver of the Mack Truck has been arrested and handed over to the police for further investigation and potential prosecution, and efforts are underway to apprehend the driver responsible for the Soka Bridge crash.
Biu also stressed the importance of enacting laws that would ensure justice for the victims of these accidents. He urged that existing laws be activated to ensure that justice is served for both the drivers and the victims involved in such tragic incidents.
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