Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), yesterday, confirmed the death of 20 people in an auto-crash that involved an 18-seater bus, which collided with a moving trailer in Badagry area of the state.

It was learnt that the incident occurred in Agemowo, near Mowo, on the Lagos-Badagry highway, and was caused by over-speeding, which caused the bus to ram into the slowly moving trailer.

The Guardian gathered that the victims included 18 passengers, the bus driver and his conductor.
Director Public Affairs Unit of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofik, said the passengers were heading to Benin Republic from Makoko area of Yaba, Lagos, to attend an event.

According to him, contrary to reports that the trailer was parked on the road, it was moving and lack of patience on the part of the driver led to the level of fatality.

“The bus is a chartered commercial bus and the passengers were like members of a family going for an occasion, we are yet to confirm.
“Everyone in the bus, including the driver and his conductor died and their remains were taken to the Badagry General Hospital morgue.”

Taofik added: “We have embarked on a series of campaigns and sent our officers to parks in the state and warned them of the danger of overspreading because of the weather. We were at Badagry on Saturday, we were at Ojota Motor Park last Wednesday and we will be in Obalende today.

“We discovered that most of the drivers don’t listen to radio but music. So, they don’t get the latest information.”