At least 10 people lost their lives and three others were injured in a tragic road accident on Friday night along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Expressway.
The crash occurred when a vehicle carrying 15 passengers plunged off the Omu bridge at the Awa Ijebu axis of the highway.
According to eyewitnesses, the vehicle lost control while speeding and fell into the river beneath the bridge.
Videos shared online showed lifeless bodies of passengers being retrieved from the river by sympathisers, with others trapped in the partially submerged vehicle.
A local source identified as TMC said:
“A tragic accident involving an 18-passenger bus en route from Ijebu Ode to Ibadan occurred a few hours ago on the bridge after Awa, with the bus crashing into the river, possibly due to overspeeding, resulting in about 12 fatalities.”
Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, said in a telephone interview on Saturday that the crash happened around 8:30 pm Friday.
He noted that emergency responders couldn’t reach the scene until Saturday morning due to the timing and location of the accident.
Akinbiyi identified the vehicle as a Mitsubishi bus with registration number EJ829-LSR, and further explained:
“According to eyewitness account, wrongful overtaking while on high speed led to failure of the driver to maintain control after noticing an oncoming vehicle.
“The bus driver veered into the bush and rammed into a stone base (gravel) already abandoned on the road beside the bridge, which made the vehicle dive into the river entirely.
“15 people were involved, three injured and 10 (three females and seven males) dead. Two people, including a toddler and an adult, escaped unhurt.”
He added that the deceased were taken to the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue, along with the injured.
“The bodies of the dead and injured victims have been taken to the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue.”
“While TRACE, POLICE, and the FRSC commiserate with the family of the victims, motorists are again warned against excessive speed and night travel given its attendant consequences,” Akinbiyi concluded.
