Four people have died in a late-night road crash along the Ijebu Ode–Ore Expressway, with authorities blaming excessive speed and a failed towing operation for the tragedy.
The accident occurred on Monday night near the Ijebu-Imushin axis of the highway and involved a commercial bus and a heavy-duty truck. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun State confirmed that all occupants of the bus died on the spot.
In a statement released in Abeokuta, the command’s spokesperson, Mr. Odunsi Afolabi, identified the vehicles as a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BD J482 XC and a blue MAN Diesel truck with registration number RSH 969 XC.
Providing further details, Afolabi said: “At approximately 11:16 p.m., a Toyota Hiace bus collided with a MAN Diesel truck, belonging to Julius Berger. Regrettably, all four individuals involved in the crash comprising two male adults and two female sustained fatal injuries and were confirmed dead at the scene.”
He added that emergency responders quickly evacuated the victims. “The remains of the victims were evacuated and deposited at the State Hospital Mortuary, Ijebu Ode.”
Preliminary investigations indicate that the crash might have been avoidable. According to the FRSC, the truck had been under tow when the towing mechanism failed, leaving it stranded on the road.
“The truck was being towed when the towing chain snapped, and the speeding Toyota bus subsequently rammed into it,” Afolabi explained.
Following the incident, the driver of the towing vehicle reportedly fled the scene, abandoning the disabled truck. The case has since been handed over to the Nigerian Police at the Imushin Division, who have taken custody of the vehicles and begun further investigations.
