At least three persons, including a police inspector, were confirmed dead on Thursday morning following a multiple-vehicle collision involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Confirming the tragic incident at the scene, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, said the crash occurred around the border between Lagos and Ogun states. He noted that emergency agencies responded swiftly to the scene to rescue victims and clear the debris.
“We have a case of multiple accident at the border between Ogun and Lagos State,” Ishola told journalists. “Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident.”
“As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies.”
According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations revealed that the crash was triggered by a trailer that suffered brake failure, leading to a chain collision involving four other trucks.
“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” Ishola explained.
In a tragic turn, one of the victims was identified as a police inspector who was part of an advance team responding to the emergency situation.
“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors that came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” the commissioner said, visibly saddened.
He used the opportunity to caution motorists—especially drivers of articulated vehicles—against reckless driving and poor vehicle maintenance, which he said remain major causes of fatal road accidents.
“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” Ishola warned.
Rescue efforts were being coordinated by the Nigeria Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). As of press time, clearance operations were still ongoing, with traffic diversions in place to ease congestion.
Authorities have urged drivers to exercise patience and adhere to road safety regulations as investigations into the accident continue.
