Police Confirm 26 Dead, 11 Injured in Lagos-Ibadan Auto Crash

Ademola Babalola in Ibadan

The Oyo State police command saturday confirmed the death of 26 people who were victims of a ghastly auto crash which occurred in the early hours of the day along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The fatal motor accident, which involved two commercial buses had claimed the lives of 26 people while 11 others were injured on the expressway close to a quarry site around Kilometre 96. The accident, which occurred around 7.00am, involved two 18-seater commercial buses.

It was gathered that the vehicles had head-on collision while trying to overtake from their lanes at a point where the road construction company handling the rehabilitation project made a road diversion. THISDAY recalls similar incident happened on Tuesday morning where many were feared dead in similar circumstance on the newly rehabilitated road.

Yesterday’s incident made it the second fatal accident within a week. Eye-witness account informed that the two buses, one coming from Lagos end and the other from Ibadan end collided in an attempt to overtake vehicle ahead of them on their lane.

The fatal collision immediately sparked off an inferno immediately and the passengers were trapped and burnt beyond recognition. The two commercial buses, it was gathered, had a full load each of passengers.

The victims were evacuated by a combined team of officers of the Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

As participants in the rescue operation were busy bringing out the charred bodies from the carcasses of the buses, sympathisers were wailing on sighting the victims’ remains being dumped into rescue vehicles available on ground.

Though, there is no confirmation of the identities of those injured yet, the remains of the dead victims had been deposited at the morgue at Adeoyo Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan for autopsy while the 11 persons who were injured were taken to University College Hospital and Ibadan central hospital for treatment.

The commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Odude visited the scene. Confirming the accident, the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO), Oyo state Police Command, Superintendent of Police, Adekunle Ajisebutu said 26 people died in the accident while 11 were injured.

Ajisebutu said, “The fatal motor accident occurred at about 7.00am on Saturday along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway by Quarry. The two commercial buses involved had a head on collision and burst into flames. As a result, 26 people died while 11 others including three children were injured.

“Corpses of the dead have been deposited at the Adeoyo General Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan, for autopsy while the injured have been taken to Ibadan Central Hospital and UCH Ibadan for medical attention”, Ajisebutu said, adding that investigation into the accident has begun.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the UCH, Mr. Deji Bobade, confirmed that a male accident victim was admitted at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital at about 7.30 am.