At least four people have been feared dead and several others injured following a multiple-vehicle accident involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday morning.
Among the victims was a police inspector attached to the Lagos State Police Command, who was confirmed dead by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, during his visit to the crash scene.
The commissioner said emergency response teams, including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other security agencies, worked tirelessly through the early hours to rescue trapped victims and clear the wreckage.
“We have a case of multiple accidents at the border between Ogun and Lagos State. Five articulated vehicles were involved. Three people have been rescued so far, and emergency teams are still on the ground,” Jimoh said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the crash was triggered by a trailer that suffered brake failure, leading to a chain reaction involving other vehicles.
“It began with a trailer that failed to brake. This shows the importance of regular vehicle maintenance,” the commissioner explained.
Jimoh expressed deep sorrow over the loss of one of his officers, who was part of the advance police team deployed to manage the situation.
“Unfortunately, we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he added.
The commissioner also cautioned drivers of articulated vehicles against reckless driving, describing it as a major cause of fatal highway accidents.
“We want road users, especially trailer drivers, to stop reckless driving. These tragedies are avoidable if drivers maintain caution,” he warned.
As of press time, rescue and recovery operations were still ongoing, with efforts focused on removing the damaged vehicles and restoring normal traffic flow along the busy expressway.
