Traffic was brought to a standstill along the Kara section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday after separate road crashes on both sides of the highway left one person dead, several others injured, and hundreds of commuters stranded for hours.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that emergency responders were battling to clear the wreckage while advising motorists to use alternative routes until recovery operations are completed.
According to the FRSC, the first accident occurred shortly after midnight on the outbound carriageway towards Ibadan. The crash involved five articulated trucks and a Toyota Sienna vehicle.
Preliminary findings indicate that excessive speed and loss of control contributed to the collision.
Seven adult males were involved in the accident. One person died, another sustained injuries, while five escaped without harm.
Recovery efforts were slowed because the body of the deceased remained trapped beneath one of the heavily loaded trucks, requiring specialized equipment to remove the vehicle before evacuation could be completed.
While rescue teams were still attending to the scene, another accident occurred around 3:15 a.m. on the inbound carriageway towards Lagos.
The second crash involved a Mazda commercial bus, which reportedly suffered brake failure. The driver sustained serious injuries and was rescued by emergency personnel before being taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
The FRSC said its officers were working with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other rescue organizations to clear the accident scenes, recover damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow.
The multiple crashes caused severe congestion along the Kara–Ojodu Berger axis, with long queues of vehicles stretching several kilometers in both directions.
Motorists travelling out of Lagos towards Ibadan have been advised to consider the Ikorodu-Sagamu route, while those heading into Lagos may use the Lekki-Epe or Ikorodu-Sagamu corridors where feasible.
The FRSC also appealed to drivers to exercise caution on the highways, urging operators of commercial vehicles and articulated trucks to ensure their vehicles are mechanically sound before embarking on journeys, particularly by checking braking systems and other critical safety components.
