Barely 48 hours after 10 people died in a road crash in Ogun State, at least eight people have lost their lives in another road crash that occurred at the Atura Bus Stop in the Badagry area of Lagos State on Sunday.
This is just as eight other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries after a commercial bus rammed into a truck.
It was learnt from a statement by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LAST MA), Adebayo Taofiq, that the accident involved a 16-seater commercial Mazda bus with number plate KJA 811 YF, and a DAF truck, marked T1 4636 LA.
He stated, “The tragic accident instantly claimed the lives of eight passengers, including the driver of the ill-fated bus and his conductor, casting a somber pall over the Badagry axis and leaving the community in profound mourning and collective grief.”
He added that the timely intervention of emergency responders, including the Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigerian Army, “led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of trauma.”
The LASTMA spokesperson attributed the accident to speeding, adding that the deceased bodies and injured victims were taken to the Badagry General Hospital.
“These casualties were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital in Badagry via an FRSC vehicle for critical medical attention.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the commercial bus lost control while navigating at a perilously high speed, leading to a catastrophic collision with a DAF truck.
“The resultant impact was described as cataclysmic, leaving little chance for evasion or survival for several occupants of the bus.”
Reacting to the crash, the LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, during a visit to the scene of the accident, consoled the deceased victims’ families while wishing the injured victims a quick recovery.
“This heart-wrenching incident is a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the urgent need for all road users to embrace caution.
“No journey should end in such tragedy. May the Almighty grant the deceased eternal rest and console those left behind,” he said.
Bakare-Oki warned commercial and heavy-duty vehicle operators against excessive speeding, urging them to “adhere strictly to safety protocols, and ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles to avoid unnecessary fatalities.”
He reiterated the agency’s transition from conventional traffic regulation to a more holistic incident management paradigm.
