FIVE DEAD, FIVE INJURED IN TWO SEPARATE CRASHES ON LEKKI-EPE EXPRESSWAY

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Tragedy struck on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos on Thursday as two separate road accidents claimed the lives of five individuals and left five others seriously injured.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed that the first accident occurred in the early hours of the day at Abijo Bus Stop, under the pedestrian bridge, inbound Epe. A Mitsubishi pick-up van, bearing registration number AKD 733 JM, reportedly lost control while speeding and rammed into a stationary piece of equipment belonging to Craneburg Construction Company.

According to LASTMA, the impact of the crash resulted in the immediate deaths of four passengers—three men and one woman—whose bodies were recovered at the scene. Three other women were rescued from the mangled vehicle and handed over to officers from the Eleko Police Division, who facilitated their emergency transfer to nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.

In a second fatal incident overnight along the same corridor, a Toyota Escort Jeep, also reportedly at high speed, crashed into a parked Dangote truck in the Frajend Group area inward Bogije. The collision killed the driver of the SUV on the spot, while two other passengers sustained life-threatening injuries.

LASTMA operatives conducted a delicate extraction of the trapped passengers from the wreckage and transferred them into the custody of officers from the Elemoro Police Division for immediate conveyance to hospital.

Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment at LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the incidents, while quoting the agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.

“We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families during this moment of unspeakable loss and anguish,” Bakare-Oki said. “It is our earnest prayer that the Almighty grants them the strength to bear these irreparable losses.”

The LASTMA GM also issued a strong warning to motorists against reckless driving and excessive speeding, describing the incidents as “colossal and avoidable tragedies.”

“These deeply saddening occurrences serve as grim reminders of the catastrophic consequences that stem from the willful violation of established speed regulations,” he said.

Bakare-Oki further stressed that the Lagos State Government has made significant investments in traffic safety infrastructure, including signage, speed limiters, and high-visibility road furniture, all aimed at preventing such fatalities.

Motorists were urged to adhere strictly to traffic laws to safeguard lives on Lagos roads.