One dead, traffic disrupted as trucks collide on Otedola Bridge

One person has been confirmed dead following a multiple-vehicle accident involving trucks at Otedola Bridge, inward Secretariat, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Friday, January 23, 2026.

The crash, which paralysed vehicular movement on the busy corridor, involved two heavy-duty trailers — one conveying sand and the other granite — which collided after both drivers attempted to outmaneuver each other for right of way.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the impact trapped the driver of the sand-laden trailer, who sustained fatal injuries.

LASTMA, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, said the agency’s operatives promptly arrived at the scene, rescued the victim, and handed him over to officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), who conveyed him to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where he was pronounced dead.

Taofiq disclosed that the driver of the second trailer was rescued alive and escaped without injuries.

Workers, motorists stranded over Lagos-Ibadan expressway accident

In a related development, the LASTMA spokesman stated that another trailer loaded with flour overturned about 50 metres away from the main crash site, further worsening traffic congestion in the area.

Taofiq said security operatives from the Alausa Police Division were deployed to maintain order, manage crowd control and support rescue and recovery operations.

He said: “Cumulatively, the incidents obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, thereby compelling the implementation of extensive traffic control and diversion measures.

“Consequently, motorists travelling inward Lagos from the Mowe, Kara Bridge and Redemption Camp axis were redirected through the Ojodu–Olole route, connecting Agidingbi, Coca-Cola, Secretariat, and 7-Up to enable continued movement towards Gbagada or Ojota with minimal inconvenience.”

The LASTMA spokesperson quoted the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, as describing the crashes as “deeply regrettable and largely preventable”, attributing them to impatience and disregard for traffic rules.

Giwa urged motorists, especially operators of heavy-duty vehicles, to exercise restraint and comply strictly with traffic regulations to prevent needless loss of lives.

AN24