An emergency responder and 16 other persons were reportedly killed in a multiple road crash, involving seven vehicles along Ikorodu/Sagamu Road in Ogun State.

The Guardian learnt that the incident occurred on Saturday due to excessive speed and brake failure at about 4:00 p.m. The affected vehicles are a white DAF truck with registration number T14007LA, Toyota Hiace bus with registration number AGL752YC, a Honda saloon car bearing the registration number HET680, and a Nissan Pickup van with registration number STF10204.

Others are a Nissan Pickup van with the following registration details, STF10204 belonging to Nigeria Police Force, two Bajaj motorcycles with the registration numbers AGG448Q and PKA214WS, as well as a white DAF truck with no evidence of registration.

The multiple auto crash also involved 18 victims – 12 male adults, five female adults and one female child. Out of the number, 17 victims were killed: 11 male adults, five female adults, and one female child; only a victim was rescued with injuries.

Reacting, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, bemoaned the tragic death of the victims, including an emergency operative deployed to carry out a rescue operation at the scene of the crash.

He expressed his condolences to the victims’ families, urging motorists to prioritise vehicle maintenance and adhere to speed limits to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies in the future.

The Corps Marshal said the Corps is committed to ensuring the safety of all road users. He urged all motorists to take responsibility for their actions and respect speed limits, lamenting that the consequences of speeding are devastating and FRSC cannot afford to lose more lives on Nigerian roads.

While bemoaning the death of all the victims, Mohammed vowed that the driver responsible for the carnage would be prosecuted as part of ongoing efforts to ensure that all drivers involved in fatal crashes face the wrath of the law. He stressed that FRSC will continue to work tirelessly to promote road safety awareness and enforce traffic laws.

“All stakeholders, including motorists, pedestrians, and the public, should join hands with the FRSC in the crusade against speed limit violations,” he pleaded.