UPDATED: Policeman, 5 Others Killed As Trucks Collide, Burst Into Flames On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Tragedy struck on Wednesday night when a multiple-truck collision on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway claimed the lives of at least six people, including a police officer, and left several others injured.

The crash, which occurred around 11 p.m., involved five vehicles, including a fuel tanker and a container-laden trailer, which collided and burst into flames. The impact of the collision caused one of the trucks to plunge off the bridge into the river, while another spilled its contents, cartons of biscuits across the highway.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with vehicles burning and traffic brought to a complete standstill. One of the victims, believed to be an occupant of one of the trucks, was burnt beyond recognition, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

“One of the trucks veered off the road and crashed into the brick barricade of the bridge. The head of the truck was severed and plunged into the river,”an eyewitness said.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident in a statement posted on its official X handle, noting that eight casualties were recorded, though it did not specify the number of deaths.

“There’s a report of a multiple road crash where a truck and a container-laden trailer were in flames, another truck spilling its contents (cartons of biscuits) on the road, and a container-laden truck ran onto the barrier with its carrier falling off the bridge into the river, thereby blocking the entire road at Kara Bridge inward Mowe,”
LASTMA said.

“Eight casualties recorded. Effort is in top gear for the recovery and evacuation of the vehicles involved. Traffic backlog on Ogunnusi Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Officers and other emergency first responders are on the ground,” the agency added.

Confirming the incident, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olorundare Jimoh, said preliminary findings indicated that the crash was caused by brake failure.

“We have a case of a multiple accident, which is still under investigation. Unfortunately, we lost a police inspector,” Jimoh said, adding that three injured persons were taken to the hospital and that “All those responsible for the accident will be prosecuted.”

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other emergency agencies were also at the scene, working to recover the wreckage and restore traffic flow.

The accident caused massive gridlock on both lanes of the busy highway, leaving commuters stranded for hours. Some frustrated motorists were seen driving against traffic, while commercial drivers exploited the situation by hiking transport fares.

At the Berger axis, fares on the Berger–Oshodi route reportedly jumped from ₦1,000–₦1,200 to between ₦2,000 and ₦2,500.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Kara Bridge crash occurred less than 24 hours after another truck accident on the Otedola Bridge, reigniting public concern about the rising spate of truck-related accidents on Lagos highways.