No fewer than 16 people lost their lives, and 17 others were injured in a series of accidents that occurred early Tuesday morning at Ajao, opposite Bovas filling station, on the Ojo/Iwo Road expressway in Ibadan.
The spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Oyo, CRC Mayowa Odewo, attributed the accident to brake failure.
He said: “The accident occurred after a trailer carrying iron materials lost control and ran into multiple vehicles including a bus coming from the North with 18 passengers who are majorly children, the trailer also ran into a Micra, and Honda CR-V car 2002/2003 model.
“About 16 people died instantly, 17 people were injured, while two people in the Honda CR-V survived the accident and we were taken to a close by the hospital. Some of the injured people were Hausa’s and they refused to be hospitalised.”
Odewo said the FRSC, Oyo Sector Commander, Corps Commander, Rosemary Alo, and teams of men from other components of the Command had visited the scene of the accident to ensure free flow of vehicular movement and avoid a repeat of such accident.
“Most of the deceased were Hausa and had been taken to Shasa or Ojoo, the Seriki of the Hausa has been communicated and we have released the body of the deceased to them.
“The sector Commander and our team also embarked on hospital follow-up to check the injured ones and assure them of their survival.
“The injured victims were taken to Amudalat hospital at Agbowo area Ibadan for medical attention while the corps was taken to the cemetery along Akinyele area Ibadan. The accident vehicles had been taken to Irepodun police station along Agbowo/Ojoo by the police.”
