Seven persons, including two siblings, lost their lives in road accidents in Lagos and Ogun states on Tuesday, April 21st, 2020, amidst COVID-19 lockdown.

In the Sangotedo area of the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos, four persons were crushed to death by a hit-and-run motorist, who reportedly drove against the traffic.

This was just as another motorist rammed an old woman to death and injured two other siblings in the Ogudu area of the state.

Two persons also lost their lives after an Ibadan-bound bus lost control at the Kara Market area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.

There are two accounts of the circumstances surrounding the accident that occurred in the Sangotedo area of the state.

While some eyewitnesses said the victims were crushed to death while attempting to assist their mother, who trades in the area, another account stated that the victims were jogging when the crash that claimed their lives occurred,

It was gathered that the crash also led to the death of a motorcyclist and a trader in the area.

The driver, after realising the gravity of the accident, reportedly abandoned the Toyota Camry car and fled the scene.

Footage of the accident, which had been trending on the social media, showed no fewer than 30 sympathisers lamenting the tragedy and blaming the driver.

In the footage, which was recorded by an eyewitness, sympathisers were seen condemning the motorist for driving on top speed against the normal flow of traffic.

The wreckage of the car was also seen by a drainage channel, with the bonnet badly squeezed and the door of the driver’s side wide opened.

If a driver sits in a motor and matches the accelerator, it sweets him. Even if you pass one-way, you are not supposed run and you will put on your trafficator. You are supposed to drive slowly on a one-way drive; now he has killed a whole family,

the recorder of the footage could be heard saying.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Dayo, told PUNCH Metro that the victims died on the spot, adding that an angry mob was about setting the car ablaze when policemen stormed the scene to stop them.

He stated that the siblings were children of one Mr. Yemi, aka Coach, adding that the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled from the scene of the accident to escape being attacked by the angry mob.

Dayo stated,

Around 8am, a motorist drove a Toyota Camry against the traffic on top speed. He was driving on the Lekki-Epe Expressway, but when he got to Sangotedo, opposite the local government secretariat, he suddenly came up against a motorcycle, he swerved and ended up hitting the motorcycle and also rammed three siblings, who were jogging, and also hit a Hausa man selling tomato in the area.

Four of the victims died on the spot and when the motorist realised what he had done, he abandoned the vehicle and ran away. An angry mob burnt the motorcycle and was about burning the car when policemen stopped them, evacuated the corpses and took the vehicle to their station. The siblings’ father is a notable person in the area and that was why people were annoyed.

In the Ogudu area of the state, it was learnt that a car was being driven towards the Third Mainland Bridge when it suddenly veered to the bus stop and rammed three commuters, who were waiting for a vehicle to convey them to their destinations.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Omotunde, said he was going to the office when he saw the driver of the car suddenly swerved to the Ogudu bus stop and rammed the waiting commuters, adding that a lot of people were at the bus stop waiting for vehicles to convey them to their destinations despite the lockdown.

Omotunde stated,

I was heading for the office and the bus conveying me was moving in the direction of the Third Mainland Bridge when the accident happened. The crash occurred right in front of me, but because the vehicle I was in was on motion, I could not stop as I was rushing to keep an appointment.

It was a gory sight; the accident was caused by a car; as soon as we passed a security checkpoint, I saw the car and another one driving on top speed in front of our vehicle and suddenly, the driver, who caused the accident, applied the brake and swerved to the direction, where the commuters were waiting and crushed those people.

The impact of the crash lifted the victims up and they landed on the ground. I saw two children among the victims, because they stood by the roadside and were bleeding. People were told to stay at home, but I don’t know what the commuters were doing at the Ogudu bus stop. They were all waiting for vehicles to convey them to their destinations even in the lockdown.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said three persons were involved in the accident at Ogudu and one died, adding that the driver claimed that he lost control of the vehicle when another hit his car from behind.

Elkana stated,

For the accident that happened in Ogudu, the driver knocked down three persons. He claimed that an ambulance hit him from behind and he lost control of the vehicle, and in the process, knocked the victims down. Two of the victims are siblings and the other one is an old woman.

The siblings survived, but have some deep injuries and are receiving treatment, but the old woman died. We have impounded the car and the driver is in our custody.

Concerning the Sangotedo crash, the PPRO said,

Four persons died and two of the deceased persons were siblings. Three other persons, including two siblings, survived the accident and are receiving treatment in hospital.

The victims were all in their sports wears and were jogging when the motorist, who was driving on top speed and against the normal flow of traffic, knocked them down. We have the driver in our custody.

At the Kara Market, it was gathered that a Mazda bus with number plate AME 805 XA lost control, while trying to overtake another vehicle on the expressway, and hit a Bajaj motorcycle with number plate SGM 149 V, before ramming into a truck on motion.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the passenger, who sat in the front seat of the bus and the passenger on the motorcycle lost their lives.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told one of our correspondents that six other passengers became unconscious as a result of the impact of the crash.

He said,

The driver of the bus recklessly overtook another vehicle on the expressway and hit the motorcycle from the rear and the motorcycle rider lost control and was hit by a truck.

The passengers sitting in front of the bus and on the motorcycle died instantly, while six other passengers in the bus lost consciousness as a result of the shock. They were later revived and rushed to hospital together with the other injured victims.

It was gathered that the corpses were deposited in the state morgue in Ishara Remo, while the injured victims were rushed to the Victory Hospital in Ogere.

The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, said in a statement that the accident was caused by wrongful overtaking and recklessness on the part of the driver of the Mazda bus.

The TRACE PRO added that the bus driver lost control and rammed into a moving truck from the rear.

He explained that 18 persons, made up of 13 males and five females, were involved in the crash.

Akinbiyi stated,

The fatal accident occurred after the new Kara Market, inbound Ibadan on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident was caused by wrongful overtaking and reckless driving on the part of the bus driver. The bus hit a moving Bajaj motorcycle, lost control and rammed into a moving truck from the rear.

The number of people involved in the accident was 18 passengers, made up of 13 males and five females. The number of the injured persons is six – five male adults and one female adult.

Two male adults, the passenger of the motorcycle and a passenger in the bus, are presumed dead.

He added that the vehicle and motorcycle had been taken to the police Motor Traffic Division, Iperu Remo.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.