The Oyo state fire service says six persons lost their lives in a multiple-vehicle accident involving tankers, articulated trucks and cars at the Ibadan toll gate section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Friday night.
The crash, which triggered a fire outbreak, also left many commuters stranded for hours on Saturday as traffic built up along the busy highway.
In a statement, Moroof Akinwande, chairman of the Oyo state fire service, said eight other persons were rescued from the wreckage and handed over to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for medical attention.
Akinwande said the agency received a distress call at about 9:29pm from Sola Rotimi, a police officer, and immediately deployed firefighters to the scene.
According to him, emergency responders arrived to find six vehicles involved in the accident, including gas tankers, articulated trucks and two cars, with parts of the scene already engulfed in flames.
“The crew quickly swung into action, and the fire was restricted from causing further damage to other vehicles and nearby properties,” he said.
Preliminary investigations, he added, indicated that brake failure may have been responsible for the accident.
The fire service boss urged motorists to exercise caution on highways and ensure their vehicles are equipped with functional fire extinguishers to help contain emergencies before they escalate.
Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of vehicles trapped in gridlock as burnt tankers obstructed one section of the road.
Charred vehicle parts and burnt tyres littered the highway, while commuters expressed frustration over the prolonged delays.
“We have been on the road since 7am. We are still here. We have spent more than necessary. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway needs urgent rescue,” one stranded passenger said.
Bayegun Oluwatoyin, the comedian and pastor popularly known as Woli Arole, also lamented the situation in a video shared online.
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“If you are planning to come to Ibadan today, just stay home. People have been here for between three to four hours. I learnt there are cars burnt on the way since yesterday. It’s serious,” he said.
Damilare Ogundoyin, a gospel singer known as Dare Justified, advised travellers to plan their journeys carefully and consider alternative routes, warning that movement along the affected stretch remained extremely slow due to the incident.
“If you are travelling from Lagos to Ibadan or from Ibadan to Lagos today, please plan accordingly,” he wrote.
“There is currently a major traffic gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following a collision involving four tankers and two vehicles.
“The incident has caused a complete blockage of traffic in both directions.
“Many commuters have reportedly been stranded in traffic since as early as 7:00 a.m., and movement along the affected stretch remains extremely slow.”
