The Federal Road Safety Corps has expressed grief over three separate road crashes that claimed 32 lives and left 26 others injured across Kogi, Ogun and Kwara states between Sunday and Monday, describing the incidents as tragic and largely preventable.
In a statement issued Monday, Corps Public Education Officer Deputy Corps Commander Osondu Ohaeri said the crashes stemmed from familiar traffic violations, speeding, dangerous driving, driver fatigue, poor tyre maintenance and the illegal practice of transporting passengers alongside goods. “The Corps extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prays for the speedy recovery of those currently receiving medical treatment,” the statement read.
The first crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. Sunday along the Okene-Lokoja Road near Confluence University in Osara, Kogi State, involving a MAN truck and a Toyota Sienna bus carrying 10 people. Seven occupants, six male adults and one female, died, while three male adults were injured and taken to Abobo General Hospital. Preliminary investigation pointed to a tyre burst as the cause.
The second crash happened at about 8:05 p.m. the same day at Sapade Bridge along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway in Ogun State, involving a SINOTRUK truck and a Toyota Hiace bus carrying 18 people. Ten occupants, nine male adults and one male child, died, while six others sustained injuries and were taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere. Two people escaped unhurt. The FRSC attributed the crash to speeding, wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving after the truck created a hazardous situation on the highway.
The third and deadliest crash occurred in the early hours of Monday at Oko-Olowo along the Ogbomosho-Oloru Road in Kwara State, involving a DAF trailer carrying both passengers and goods. Of 48 male adults involved, 15 died, 17 were injured and 16 escaped unhurt. The Corps identified driver fatigue as the immediate cause but said the high death toll was worsened by the illegal mixing of passengers and cargo on the trailer.
Reacting to the incidents, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed described them as heartbreaking and entirely preventable, pointing to a recurring pattern of violations undermining national road safety efforts. “The recurring violations of established traffic regulations, particularly speeding, wrongful overtaking, dangerous driving, poor tyre maintenance, driver fatigue and mixed loading, continue to undermine national efforts to improve road safety,” he said.
Mohammed urged motorists, transport companies and commercial operators to prioritise safety, calling for roadworthy vehicles, routine tyre inspections, adherence to speed limits, adequate driver rest and a firm end to mixing passengers with goods. He warned that the FRSC would sustain aggressive enforcement against violations that endanger lives, while reaffirming the Corps’ commitment to safer roads through enforcement, public education and emergency response. “Road safety is a shared responsibility,” he said.
