By Ibrahim Salaudeen, Lagos
No fewer than eight persons were confirmed dead in a predawn collision between a commercial bus and a truck in the Badagry area of Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) which confirmed the fatalities in a statement by Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Taofiq Adebayo, said that the road crash occurred on Sunday at Atura Bus Stop inward Badagry.
Adebayo further said that the accident involved a 16-seater commercial Mazda bus marked KJA811YF and a DAF truck, with registration number T14636LA.
“The tragic accident instantly claimed the lives of eight passengers, including the driver of the bus and his conductor, casting a somber pall over the Badagry axis and leaving the community in profound mourning and collective grief,” stated Adebayo.
He said LASTMA operatives, officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Police at Morogbo Division and soldiers from 244 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Ibereko Barracks, coordinated the rescue operation.
“Their timely intervention led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of trauma. These casualties were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital in Badagry via an FRSC vehicle for critical medical attention.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the commercial bus lost control while navigating at a perilously high speed, leading to a catastrophic collision with a DAF truck. The resultant impact was described as cataclysmic, leaving little chance for evasion or survival for several occupants of the bus,” he added.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, he said, extended his condolences to the bereaved families when he visited the scene, describing the incident as a painful reminder of the fragility of life.
He urged road users to embrace caution, adding that no journey should end in such tragedy.
Bakare-Oki, Adebayo said, admonished commercial and heavy-duty vehicle operators to eschew excessive speeding, adhere strictly to safety protocols, and ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles to avoid unnecessary fatalities.
“This regrettable loss of lives could have been avoided if the basic tenets of defensive driving and vehicular safety had been upheld. Speed remains a silent killer on our highways.
“We are no longer merely controlling traffic; we are managing emergencies, mitigating disasters, and saving lives. This is the ethos of contemporary traffic administration,” he said.
He also highlighted the deployment of speed-limiting mechanisms at critical flashpoints across Lagos- part of the state government’s broader commitment to reducing road carnage, protecting commuters, and fostering a culture of compliance and safety, stated Adebayo.
