No fewer than 15 people were reportedly killed in a multiple vehicle accident involving a trailer and a Canter truck along the accident-prone Oko Olowo axis of the Ilorin-Jebba expressway in Kwara State.
The tragic incident, which occurred on Wednesday at about 5:35 pm, also left several others with varying degrees of injuries. Eyewitnesses said the trailer, with registration number AYE 218 XC, collided head-on with the Canter truck, registered as TTN 556 XA.
According to reports, one of the vehicles was transporting cows and passengers from Ilorin to Ogbomoso, while the trailer was en route from Lagos to Kano.
Emergency responders, including police officers from the ‘G’ Division Police Command, Oloje, arrived promptly at the scene to manage the situation. Injured victims were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were reportedly evacuated by their families.
A video of the aftermath showed the trailer overturned on its side, with over 10 corpses scattered along the road. In the footage, a rescuer called on the government to address the frequent accidents on the corridor, which has become a death trap for travelers.
A senior officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kwara Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the casualty figure, stating that 15 people lost their lives in the crash, while three others sustained injuries.
Speaking on the incident, the FRSC Sector Commander, Muftau Irekeola, confirmed the accident in a telephone interview. “That we have 15 casualties may not be far from the truth, but I am still waiting for details from my boys in Olooru Unit. It was a multiple accident involving a trailer and one Canter truck,” he said.
Preliminary findings suggest reckless driving and excessive speeding as likely causes of the crash. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Residents and road users have called on authorities to implement measures to prevent further accidents on the Ilorin-Jebba expressway, a notorious blackspot for road fatalities.
