Five Killed, Eight Injured in Fiery Multi-Vehicle Crash on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

At least five persons have lost their lives while eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries following a devastating multiple-vehicle accident along the Ibadan section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The tragic incident occurred late Friday night near Satguru Maharaj Ji Village, just before the Ibadan Toll Gate, throwing the busy highway into chaos and causing a major traffic disruption.

According to emergency responders, the crash involved several heavy-duty vehicles, including gas tankers and trailer trucks, as well as smaller vehicles travelling along the corridor.

The Oyo State Fire Services Agency confirmed that the accident involved six trucks, two Toyota Hilux vans and two cars.

Preliminary reports and eyewitness accounts indicated that one of the trucks may have suffered brake failure before crashing into another truck parked along the road. The impact reportedly triggered a chain-reaction collision involving multiple vehicles and resulted in a fire outbreak.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as flames engulfed parts of the wreckage while motorists and nearby residents scrambled for safety.

Emergency responders were immediately deployed to the scene, where rescue operations commenced amid efforts to contain the fire and evacuate victims trapped in the mangled vehicles.

The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Mr Maroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident and attributed the accident to suspected brake failure.

“Upon arrival, we discovered that the accident involved six trucks, including gas tankers and trailer trucks, and two cars, resulting in a fire outbreak,” Akinwande said.

He disclosed that five persons were recovered dead from the scene, while eight others were rescued alive and handed over to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for urgent medical attention.

“Five persons were recovered while eight others were rescued and handed over to the FRSC team led by SRC Adegbite from Toll-Gate, Ibadan, for further medical attention at the nearest hospital,” he added.

The injured victims were subsequently transported to medical facilities for treatment, while emergency personnel continued search and recovery efforts at the scene.

The fire service further confirmed that the blaze had been successfully extinguished, preventing further destruction and reducing the risk of secondary explosions from the tanker trucks involved in the accident.

As of Saturday morning, officials of the FRSC, security agencies and other emergency responders were still working to ease the severe traffic congestion caused by the incident and clear the affected section of the highway.

Authorities have yet to release the identities of the deceased pending notification of their families.

The incident adds to growing concerns over road safety on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of Nigeria's busiest transport corridors, where accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles have continued to pose significant risks to motorists.