One person has been confirmed dead following multiple accidents on Otedola Bridge in Lagos in the early hours of Friday, triggering a prolonged gridlock that left motorists and commuters stranded.
The crashes occurred inward Secretariat along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, grounding movement on the usually busy corridor and leaving thousands stuck for hours.
According to traffic officials, the primary crash involved a severe collision between two articulated trucks — one carrying sand and the other granite — reportedly caused by a reckless struggle for right of way.
“The forceful impact led to devastating consequences, resulting in the entrapment of the driver of the sand-laden trailer, who sustained fatal injuries and was later confirmed dead,” the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said in a statement.
LASTMA disclosed that emergency responders rescued the trapped victim and handed him over to officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), who transported him to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where he was pronounced dead.
“The driver of the second trailer was rescued alive and remarkably, escaped unhurt,” the agency said in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq.
The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command said the situation worsened after a secondary crash occurred due to the overturned truck.
“Two serious accidents have occurred at Otedola Bridge, inward Lagos. In the first incident, a fully loaded truck overturned, spilling its consignments onto the road and covering about 90 per cent of the carriageway,” the RRS said.
“The second accident occurred directly behind the first crash, compounding traffic disruption in the area. Emergency responders have been alerted. Motorists are advised to drive with caution around the area.”
Police Deployed, Motorists Redirected
Security personnel were deployed to the scene to ensure safety, manage crowd control and assist ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
“Cumulatively, the incidents obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, thereby compelling the implementation of extensive traffic control and diversion measures,” LASTMA said.
“As a result, motorists heading into Lagos from the Mowe, Kara Bridge and Redemption Camp axis were diverted through the Ojodu–Olole route, linking Agidingbi, Coca-Cola, Secretariat and 7-Up, to ease movement towards Gbagada or Ojota.”
The crash adds to a growing list of fatal accidents along that stretch of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, a major route linking Lagos to the South-South and South-East regions.
On January 18, two commuters died in a multiple-vehicle crash on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, while on October 30, 2025, six people — including a police officer — lost their lives in a separate incident involving multiple trucks, one of which was a fuel tanker.