Tragedy struck on Sunday along the Eko Bridge inward Alaka corridor in Lagos, as two dispatch riders lost their lives in a fatal accident involving two heavily loaded Mack trucks.

The vehicles, bearing registration numbers T-10357 LA and KJA 107 XM, were involved in a high-impact collision that led to the death of the riders, sparking grief and concern among commuters and residents in the area.

According to Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), initial investigations indicate that one of the truck drivers may have been speeding and possibly dozed off while driving. The vehicle veered out of control and rammed into another moving truck ahead of it.

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The force of the crash caused a 20-foot container to fall from one of the trucks, fatally crushing the two dispatch riders passing by. Both were confirmed dead on the spot.

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LASTMA officers, who were on routine patrol beneath the Eko Bridge, quickly responded to the scene to manage the situation and ensure public safety.

One of the truck drivers sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital by a Lagos State Government ambulance. However, the two other drivers involved reportedly fled the scene, likely fearing arrest and prosecution.

In response, LASTMA temporarily closed the affected section of the bridge and redirected traffic through the Costain Roundabout toward Alaka and the National Stadium to prevent further danger.

Expressing his condolences, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki described the incident as both tragic and preventable. He stressed the need for greater caution among drivers of articulated vehicles and noted that efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing drivers.

Bakare-Oki also said the agency is intensifying its public education campaigns to promote road safety, especially among truck operators and heavy-duty vehicle drivers.

The emergency response was coordinated by several agencies, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU), and officers from the Iporin Division of the Nigeria Police Force.

Six Shops Destroyed in Ibadan Barracks Fire Outbreak

Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the early hours of Saturday following a fire outbreak at the Police Barracks in the Omolewa, Yemetu area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

According to DAILY POST, the inferno, which occurred at a shopping complex within the barracks, affected six shops out of the 24 lock-up stores in the facility.