A tragic accident on the busy Lekki–Epe Expressway has once again highlighted the dangers of reckless driving in Lagos, leaving six people dead and nine others injured in a ghastly collision between a truck and a commercial bus.
The crash, which occurred at Ibeju Bus Stop, involved a blue Volvo FL6 truck and a white Mazda commercial bus with registration number AKD 336YD. The impact claimed the lives of six persons “two adult males, three adult females, and a young boy” should be enough for NSIB to involved and document the report, while nine others, including three men and six women, sustained injuries. Four individuals, however, escaped without harm.
In a statement signed by Route Commander Oluwadamilola Jayeola, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that its Corridor 13 and Zebra 46 rescue teams responded swiftly, alongside officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC).
The injured were taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Epe and Hammond Hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at FMC’s mortuary. Preliminary investigations revealed speeding, route violation, and dangerous driving as the causes of the crash.
Lagos Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Kehinde G. Hamzat, extended condolences to the victims’ families and urged drivers to heed repeated warnings against overspeeding and reckless driving. Quoting the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, he said: “Speed thrills but kills.”
Hamzat stressed that the so-called “Ember Month crashes” are not the product of superstition but of human negligence and poor judgment. “We must embrace defensive driving and discipline behind the wheel,” he warned.
NSIB’s Expanding Role in Road Safety
While the FRSC remains the lead agency for enforcement, experts note that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), traditionally associated with air and rail accident investigations, is increasingly relevant to road transport safety.
A transport safety analyst, Mr. Ifeanyi Ogbonna, told our correspondent that the Bureau’s mandate to investigate multi-modal accidents positions it as a crucial player in identifying systemic lapses in Nigeria’s road transportation ecosystem. If it is Air transport have such issues, NSIB would be involved in a greater capacity.
“The NSIB does not assign blame or prosecute offenders; its role is to dig deeper into why accidents happen and recommend preventive measures,” Ogbonna explained. “When NSIB investigations complement FRSC enforcement, we get a clearer picture of recurring failures such as poor vehicle maintenance, design flaws in highways, or regulatory oversights.”
He added that NSIB reports can help policymakers design interventions beyond after report of accidents or incidents, such as introducing black-box-style data monitoring for commercial vehicles, stricter fleet audits, and the redesign of dangerous corridors like Lekki–Epe where high-speed traffic mixes with pedestrian activity.
Preventive Measures to Downgrade Fatal Crashes
Road safety experts argue that accident numbers can be drastically reduced if NSIB’s safety should recommend fully implementable guidelines. Among measures often cited are:
- Crash Data and Safety Recommendations: NSIB should independent reports provide unbiased insight into accident causes, ensuring lessons are documented and shared across the sector.
- Technology Deployment: The Bureau has to advocate for the installation of speed limiters, dashcams, and telematics in commercial fleets to monitor driver behavior in real-time.
- Training and Safety Culture: Some stakeholders urged NSIB should lead supports structured driver retraining programs, urging fleet owners to adopt safety management systems similar to aviation standards.
- Infrastructure Audits: Through joint efforts with state governments, the Bureau can help identify accident blackspots and recommend engineering solutions such as better signage, speed-calming devices, or safer pedestrian crossings.
According to another safety expert, Mrs. Bukola Ajayi, the Lekki–Epe corridor needs urgent redesign to reflect the heavy mix of trucks, commercial buses, and private vehicles. “Fatalities will remain high until safety audits inform urban planning. Agencies like NSIB can provide the technical backbone for such audits,” she said.
A Call for Shared Responsibility
The Lekki–Epe tragedy underscores that road safety is not just an FRSC enforcement issue but a shared responsibility. With stronger collaboration between the FRSC, NSIB, and state authorities, experts believe that fatal crashes can be “downgraded”, meaning reduced in frequency and severity, through systemic interventions.
For grieving families, such assurances may offer little immediate comfort. But for Lagos commuters and Nigeria at large, this crash is another urgent call to slow down, obey traffic rules, and push for a transport system where human recklessness no longer costs lives.
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