Get Guardian on Google• Bauchi council chairman dies in accident
A multiple-vehicle crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday claimed one life and left 15 others injured.
In a separate incident, the Chairman of Zaki Local Council of Bauchi State, Masud Aliyu Umar, has died in an auto accident while returning from a political meeting in Bauchi.
The Lagos crash occurred at about 6.10 a.m. at Punch Bus Stop, inbound Lagos, involving a white Nissan Space Bus with registration number FST 667 XV, a Mercedes-Benz car with registration number SMK 878 KK and an unidentified truck.
According to an eyewitness account contained in an incident report by the OPIC/MFM Unit Command of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), excessive speeding and loss of control reportedly caused the accident after the unidentified truck struck the other vehicles and fled the scene.
The report said 16 people, comprising 15 females and one male, were involved in the crash. Of the victims, 15, including 14 females and one male, sustained injuries, while one person died.
Rescue teams from TRACE, the police, the Ogun State Ambulance and Emergency Services (OGSAES) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) responded to the incident.
The injured victims were taken to Sango-Ota General Hospital by OGSAES operatives from OPIC, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the morgue of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, by the FRSC.
The two damaged vehicles were evacuated from the expressway to Warewa Police Station for further investigation.
The crash initially disrupted traffic along the busy highway, but normal movement was restored after the vehicles were cleared from the road.
In Bauchi State, Umar reportedly died on Sunday night when his personal vehicle crashed at Konkiyal Village in Darazo Local Council while he was travelling to Zaki after attending an Allied Peoples Movement (APM) stakeholders’ meeting in Bauchi.
The accident scene is about 100 kilometres from Bauchi metropolis.
Umar, who previously served as Director-General of the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), was elected chairman of Zaki Local Council on August 17, 2026.
Governor Bala Mohammed, in a condolence message issued by his media aide, Mukhtar Gidado, expressed shock over the council chairman’s death, describing him as a dedicated public servant, committed grassroots politician and compassionate leader.
The governor said Umar’s tenure at SEMA was marked by efforts to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable residents and provide timely assistance to communities affected by emergencies and humanitarian challenges.
He added that, as council chairman, Umar remained committed to grassroots development through initiatives aimed at empowering youths and women, improving livelihoods and promoting inclusive development.
Mohammed said his death was a major loss not only to his family and the people of Zaki but also to the state’s public service and local government administration.
He urged the deceased’s family, political associates, friends and the people of Zaki to find strength and comfort in Allah during the difficult period.
Umar was buried yesterday at 2:00 p.m., at the palace of the District Head of Mur Mur, Zaki Local Council.
