Road Accidents Claim 138 Lives Within 10 Months In Kwara

Road accidents claimed 138 lives in Kwara State within a 10-month period, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kwara State, Mufutau Irekeola, has disclosed.

Irekeola said the accidents occurred at various locations in the state between January and October 2025.

The Sector Commander disclosed this on Friday in Ilorin, the state capital, during a town hall meeting organised by the Command to sensitise transport unions members ahead of the Ember months road safety campaign.

The sensitisation campaign which held at the secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Airport area in Ilorin, had in attendance, representatives of the transport unions, firefighters and representatives of NDLEA, traffic management agency, police, traditional rulers, NOA, NSCDC, Immigration, Correctional Services, and other stakeholders.

Irekeola stressed that road safety is the collective responsibility of all road users, adding that, “The leading cause of RTs worldwide including Nigeria is over-speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, failure to obey traffic rules, and poor road conditions.

“It is in view of the above that the Corps’ theme for this year’s campaign is tagged: “Take Responsibility For Your Safety: Stop Distracting Driving”. The theme reinforces the facts that human factor is the major cause of road crashes on our highways, with drivers largely responsible.”

He added, “It may interest you to note regrettably that between January – October 2025, a total no of 247 road traffic crashes (RTCs) were recorded in Kwara State having 933 injured, and 138 killed out of 1,901 persons involved. From these crashes, 383 vehicles were involved including 45 transport unions vehicles that claimed a total of 37 lives,” he said.

Irekeola attributed the most prevalent cause of these crashes to failure to adhere to road traffic rules and regulations, wrongful overtaking, speed limit violation, and road rage.

He further identified most dangerous routes in the state to include Ilorin-Ogbomoso, Okoolowo-Oloru, and Bode- Saadu-Jebba roads.

He, however, informed the participants that as part of FRSC’s commitment to achieving the desired outcome of the 2025 end-of-year campaign, the Command has mapped out some strategies to include deployment of personnel and special marshals across major highways and crash-prone corridors state-wide.

In their reactions, the state chairman of RTEAN, AbdulRahman Onikijipa, and his NURTW counterpart, AbdulRazaq Ariwoola commended the FRSC and other participating stakeholders for organising the programme.

They urged drivers to take caution and heed the warnings expressed at the sensitisation campaign in the interest of their safety and that of the passengers.