Accident Claims 3 Lives On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Three persons were confirmed dead in an accident involving a Toyota Sienna and a Mack tipper around Onigaari on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Spokesperson for Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident to reporters in Abeokuta on Monday.

Akinbiyi said that the accident was caused by speeding and recklessness of the driver of the Siena car marked MUS 932 FE which rammed into a stationary tipper.

He said that 12 persons involved in the accident included 10 adults and two kids.

‘I learnt the Sienna  is a commercial vehicle loaded from Ibadan to Lagos when it suddenly lost control due to speeding and reckless driving and rammed into the stationary tipper parked by the road side,” he said.

Akinbiyi said that the injured victims were rescued and taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere, while the deceased were deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara, Remo.

He commiserated with the  families of the dead, while also  enjoining motorists to avoid excessive speeding, especially during the raining season because of  attendant challenges.

Akinbiyi advised articulated vehicle drivers to desist from parking close to the highways.

Meanwhile, in related development, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) earlier said it has mobilised and deployed over 300 officers for two shifts operations on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following the partial closure to allow reconstruction.

The Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Hyginus Omeje, made this known to newsmen on Monday in Lagos, after the corps and the construction company successful carried out the diversion at 1:20p.m.

Omeje, who urged both the motorists and commuters not to panic on the development, said that nothing had really changed after the diversion as the road still allowed two lanes it was designated originally for.

According to him, the problem usually in the corridor is the multiplicity of lanes that cause unnecessary gridlock and confusion on the two-lane corridor.

He said: “We have successfully done the diversion today. We deployed as early as 6:00a.m and Julius Berger (the Construction Company) met us on ground to tell you that we are ready.

“For sustainability and to ensure that our officers do not wear off, we are operating the shifts system. What we did was to withdraw personnel from our 13 component units in Lagos.

“We pull personnel from those units and component commands, and we camp them in the state headquarters in Ojodu from where they will be deployed on daily basis in the two shifts.”

Omeje said that the first shift would work from 6:00a.m to 1:00p.m, while the second would work from 1:00p.m to 10:00p.m daily.

He said that the corps was relying on the sizeable detachment of police with arms, who were on ground to provide security for the safety of FRSC officers that would work at night.

“We are doing all in a bid to ensuring that nobody sleeps on that road.

“We are assuring Nigerians that there will be smooth flow of traffic while the reconstruction of that section of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway lasts.

“So, there is no cause for alarm. Nobody will sleep on the road; if anybody will sleep on the road, we (FRSC) will be the one to sleep, not really the commuters.

“All we are asking from the road users is to obey simple traffic rules and regulations.

“It is two lanes that lead to Lagos and two lanes out of Lagos, motorists should not create extra lanes.

“Because of this reconstruction, what the company just did was to expand on one lane and divide it into two.

“So, it is still the same two lanes in and out of Lagos State. People should not panic,” Omeje added.

According to him, there is a speed limit that must be obey, diversion signs to obey, lane discipline to obey and the traffic managers to comply with.

He said that the corps was collaborating with other sister agencies like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), the Police and others to ensure free flow of traffic.

Assessing the traffic situation after the diversion, Omeje said that the traffic flow had been smooth and that the corps had strategically positioned tow trucks to remove any obstruction of vehicles’ breakdown.

The partial closure is to carry out reconstruction of Berger Bus Stop to Kara Cattle Market portion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.


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