By Peter Omopo
No fewer than six persons have been confirmed dead following a multiple-vehicle collision involving tankers, articulated trucks and private vehicles at the Ibadan Toll Gate axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The accident, which occurred on Friday night, sparked a major fire outbreak and caused severe traffic congestion that left hundreds of commuters stranded for several hours.
Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Moroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident, stating that eight other victims were rescued from the wreckage and handed over to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for medical attention.
According to Akinwande, the Fire Service received a distress call at about 9:29 p.m. from a police officer, identified as Sola Rotimi, and immediately deployed emergency responders to the scene.
On arrival, firefighters reportedly discovered that six vehicles, including fuel tankers, articulated trucks and two cars, were involved in the crash, with parts of the scene already engulfed in flames.
Akinwande said emergency personnel swiftly contained the fire and prevented it from spreading to nearby vehicles and surrounding property.
Preliminary investigations indicated that brake failure may have been responsible for the accident.
The fire service boss urged motorists to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and equipped with functional fire extinguishers to help contain emergencies before they escalate.
The incident resulted in a major traffic gridlock along the busy highway, with long queues of vehicles stretching across both carriageways. Burnt tankers and debris, including charred vehicle parts and tyres, obstructed sections of the road, significantly disrupting movement.
Several commuters expressed frustration over the prolonged delay, with some reporting that they spent hours trapped in traffic.
Popular comedian and cleric, Bayegun Oluwatoyin, popularly known as Woli Arole, also lamented the situation in a video shared online, advising travellers heading to Ibadan to postpone their journeys due to the severity of the gridlock.
Similarly, gospel singer Damilare Ogundoyin, popularly known as Dare Justified, urged motorists travelling between Lagos and Ibadan to make adequate travel plans and consider alternative routes.
He noted that the collision, involving four tankers and two other vehicles, had caused significant disruption to traffic flow in both directions of the expressway.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to announce when full vehicular movement would be restored along the affected section of the highway. Emergency agencies, however, continued clearance operations to ease traffic and restore normalcy.
