Senate directs Police, FRSC to investigate cause of Otedola bridge accident

The Nigerian Senate has directed the Nigeria Police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to carry out a thorough investigation on the cause of the tanker fire accident on Otedola Bridge, by the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The lawmakers urged all relevant security agencies to cooperate with Lagos state and other states to make sure that drivers of trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles comply with traffic safety guidelines.

“I think this is something that could have been prevented if we all abide by the traffic safety guidelines and ensure the enforcement of existing laws,” Senate President Bukola Saraki said in a statement.

“This is a lesson that we need to learn from. Those agencies that are in charge of ensuring the safety of tanker movement across the country must ensure compliance to ensure that the tanker drivers have gotten adequate licenses and vehicles have received their adequate certificates showing that they are in good condition to ply our roads.

“Until we continue to do that, and hold those accountable, we will continue to see these kinds of accidents. These are things that are preventable and we must ensure that on our part that we see to prevent them.” he said

The lawmakers further resolved to direct its relevant committees to invite the FRSC and NNPC to develop solutions to prevent such accidents, while also urging the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and State Governments to accelerate the development of trailer parks and installation of way bridges to manage the trailer movement on our roads.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Government has revealed that two of the survivors of the Otedola Tanker Explosion have died, increasing the death toll from the fire incident to 12.

The state government had on Monday said it will prosecute the owner and driver of the fuel tanker.