A tragic road accident claimed the lives of eight people in the early hours of Sunday when a 16-seater commercial Mazda bus collided head-on with a DAF truck at Atura Bus Stop, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
According to officials, the accident involved a commercial vehicle with registration number KJA 811 YF and a DAF truck with plate number T1 4636 LA. The incident, which occurred before dawn, left eight people dead at the scene. Among the victims were the bus driver and his conductor. Another eight passengers were injured and taken to the General Hospital in Badagry for urgent treatment.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who visited the crash site, noted that emergency workers responded quickly. The rescue team included LASTMA officers, personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Police from Morogbo Division, and soldiers from the 244 Battalion, Ibereko Barracks.
Initial findings suggest the bus driver was speeding when he lost control of the vehicle, resulting in the deadly collision with the oncoming truck. The damage from the impact was severe, and the chances of survival for some of the passengers were very low.
Bakare-Oki expressed sympathy to the grieving families. “This heart-wrenching incident underscores the fragility of life. No journey should end this way. We pray for the repose of the souls of the departed and strength for their loved ones,” he said.
He also sent good wishes to the injured and reminded commercial drivers about the importance of road safety. “This regrettable loss of lives could have been avoided if the basic tenets of defensive driving and vehicle maintenance had been observed. Speed remains a silent killer on our roads,” he warned.
He noted that LASTMA has moved toward improving its emergency response approach, aligning with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which supports better road safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness.
“We are no longer just traffic controllers; we are first responders and life savers. That’s the new direction of traffic administration in Lagos,” Bakare-Oki stated.
He also noted that speed-limiting devices have already been placed at major accident-prone locations to help reduce traffic-related deaths.
Bakare-Oki praised the swift action of other agencies and LASTMA’s officers. “The Lagos State Government, through LASTMA, remains fully committed to safeguarding lives, promoting order, and creating a safer commuting environment for all,” he added.
