Lagos-Ibadan Expressway truck crash
At least six people have died and more than 20 were injured in a lone truck crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of Nigeria’s busiest inter-state highways, authorities have confirmed. Preliminary findings from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) indicate that the accident involved a heavily loaded truck carrying both goods and passengers when it lost control and overturned on the highway. 
The crash, which occurred around 11:27am on Monday at the Foursquare Camp axis of the expressway, has once again drawn attention to the persistent safety challenges facing road users on this crucial transportation artery that links Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, with key cities in the southwest, including Ibadan and Ogbomoso. 
The FRSC has described fatigue, speeding and mixed loading of passengers and livestock among the factors that may have contributed to the tragedy, warning that such practices make crashes especially deadly when they occur. 
What Happened: Eyewitness and Official Accounts
According to the FRSC’s Ogunmakin Unit Command, the truck — identified as a DAF CF 380 with registration number SNA 287 XA — was transporting cattle alongside passengers. The agency discourages mixed loading because it severely compromises safety; in a crash, animals and cargo can collide with human occupants, worsening injuries. 
Witnesses at the scene reported the truck veered out of control before overturning, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos. Rescue teams from the FRSC arrived within minutes to manage the scene. The corpses of the six deceased were recovered and transported to hospitals, while the injured were rushed to nearby medical facilities including Oreoluwa Hospital, GOFAMINT Camp, and Victory Hospital, Ogere for urgent treatment. 
At least 23 people were involved in the crash, according to preliminary data, though exact figures could change as investigations continue and hospitals update casualty records, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway truck crash.
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: A Highway with a Long History of Crashes
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is one of Nigeria’s most economically vital roads, carrying goods, commuters, and long-haul traffic between major population and commercial centres. But its heavy usage has also made it one of the country’s most dangerous highways.
Road users and local residents regularly point to factors such as:
• Overloaded trucks and mixed cargo,
• Fatigue and speeding by drivers trying to meet tight schedules,
• Poor road shoulders, potholes, and worn pavement,
• Illegally parked vehicles along the shoulders,
• Weak enforcement of safety standards for commercial transport.
Traffic officials and safety analysts say these issues combine to create a risk environment where accidents are often severe and costly in human life.
Past incidents on the expressway have ranged from multiple-vehicle crashes involving buses and trucks to lonely collisions that killed several people at once. These include New Year’s Day crashes that left several dead, and separate multi-vehicle pileups near the Kara Bridge that resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries. 
https://ogelenews.ng/lagos-ibadan-expressway-truck-crash-six-dead-20-inj…
Why Truck Crashes on Major Roads Are So Deadly
Crashes involving trucks — especially those carrying more than just cargo — tend to result in high casualty numbers for several reasons:
• Mass and Momentum: Heavy vehicles travelling at expressway speeds have greater momentum, making it harder to stop or correct direction quickly.
• Unsecured Loads: When livestock, goods or people are carried outside their intended compartments, they shift during a crash, increasing the likelihood of fatal injuries.
• Limited Protection: Passengers travelling in the back of trucks often lack the protection provided by proper seats and safety restraints.
• Minimal Escape Space: In a rollover, there is little protection between occupants and crushing forces.
These factors combine to make crashes involving trucks especially harmful.
FRSC, Lastma and Other Responders on the Scene
The Federal Road Safety Corps was first on the scene, stabilising the area and directing traffic away from the crash site. The agency also began an immediate investigation into the contributing factors — including speed, fatigue, mechanical condition of the truck, and compliance with safety regulations. 
Officials from the FRSC also took the rare step of warning motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles, about the dangers of fatigue and mixed loading, urging them to observe rest schedules and adhere to cargo regulations to prevent such tragedies. 
Although traffic was initially diverted to allow rescue and clearance operations to proceed, recovery teams later restored partial flow to ease the severe congestion that often follows such major crashes on the expressway.
Human Cost: Families Grieve, Survivors Recover
Beyond statistics, these crashes leave families and communities grappling with loss and hardship.
Six bodies taken to local hospitals mean six homes now grieving, six disruptions to families’ economic and emotional stability. The injured — who may be recovering for weeks or months — face medical bills, potential loss of income, and psychological trauma.
Survivors and witnesses often speak of chaos following such crashes: smoke, screaming, the sound of metal against pavement, and the frantic efforts of pedestrians and good Samaritans to pull people from wrecks before first responders arrive.
These scenes are not unique to this incident, but they are undeniably part of the expressway’s dark pattern.
Underlying Problems: Enforcement Gaps and Policy Failures
Experts and travel safety advocates argue that deeper, structural issues underlie recurrent crashes on major highways like Lagos-Ibadan:
• Weak enforcement of cargo and passenger regulations, especially the ban on carrying people in truck cargo areas.
• Inadequate rest enforcement for drivers who often push long hours.
• Poor road maintenance that includes potholes and unmarked hazards.
• Limited driver training and licensing controls.
The FRSC’s warnings about fatigue and mixed loading are not new, but they rarely translate into systematic change without sustained enforcement and accountability from transport companies and drivers alike.
What Road Users Should Know Now
If you travel the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway frequently:
• Always use approved passenger transport services.
• Avoid travelling in unintended spaces such as truck beds or flatbeds.
• Report vehicles carrying passengers improperly to the FRSC or LASTMA.
• Ensure your own car is well-maintained before long trips.
• Observe all safety and speed regulations, especially in high-traffic zones.
These steps don’t prevent every accident, but they reduce risk.
The Bottom Line
The tragic crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that left six dead and more than 20 injured is yet another reminder that Nigeria’s major roads can exact a heavy toll when safety practices break down. As investigations continue, road safety experts, transport authorities, and policymakers face renewed pressure to adopt and enforce measures that make highways safer for everyone. 
What happened here is more than a headline. It is a call to action — to strengthen enforcement, reduce mixed loading, curb fatigue and speed, and reshape how roads are used and governed.
https://newtelegraphng.com/lagos-ibadan-expressway-where-fresh-asphalt-meets-old-ghosts
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway truck crash
