No fewer than 29 people have lost their lives in a fatal road crash in Kano and Lagos States yesterday.
The Kano accident, which claimed the lives of 21 people, happened at Kasuwar Dogo, in Dakatsalle, along the Zaria–Kano highway.
A government statement said the crash occurred on Sunday, July 6th, 2025, at about 8:23 a.m.
It said the crash involved a DAF Trailer with registration number GWL 422 ZE and a Toyota Hummer Bus with registration number KMC 171 YM.
According to the statement, a preliminary investigation conducted by the FRSC rescue team revealed that the crash was caused by route violation by the driver of the Toyota Hummer Bus, which led to a head-on collision with the trailer, resulting in a fire outbreak that engulfed the vehicles.
The statement disclosed that “A total of 24 people were involved in the crash; 21 persons lost their lives, three others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“The burnt bodies of the deceased were evacuated and deposited at Nassarawa Hospital Mortuary, Kano, while the injured victims were taken to Garun Malam General Hospital for medical attention,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, eight people were confirmed dead on Sunday and many others injured when a commercial bus collided with a truck in the Badagry area of the state.
It was gathered that the multiple accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Atura Bus Stop, inbound Badagry, involving a 16-seater commercial Mazda bus, registration number KJA 811 YF and a DAF truck, marked T1 4636 LA.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, the tragic accident instantly claimed the lives of eight passengers, including the driver of the ill-fated bus and his conductor, leaving the community in mourning and collective grief.
He remarked that LASTMA operatives, in conjunction with personnel from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force (Morogbo Division), and the 244 Battalion of the Nigerian Army (Ibereko Barracks), swiftly launched a coordinated rescue operation at the accident scene.
Adebayo added, “Their timely intervention led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of trauma.
“These casualties were evacuated to the General Hospital in Badagry for critical medical attention.”
However, a preliminary investigation revealed that the commercial bus driver lost control while navigating the road at a high speed. This led to a catastrophic collision with a DAF truck, leaving several bus occupants little chance for evasion or survival.
Commenting on the tragic incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who visited the crash site to evaluate the situation personally, extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for divine fortitude to help them withstand the immeasurable and irreplaceable loss.
“This heart-wrenching incident is a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the urgent need for all road users to embrace caution. No journey should end in such tragedy. May the Almighty grant the deceased eternal rest and console those left behind,” he said.
Bakare-Oki issued a stern admonition to commercial and heavy-duty vehicle operators, urging them to eschew excessive speeding, adhere strictly to safety protocols, and ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles to avoid unnecessary fatalities.
“This regrettable loss of lives could have been avoided if the basic tenets of defensive driving and vehicular safety had been upheld. Speed remains a silent killer on our highways,” he warned.
