Driver kills 2 on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

A suspected hit-and-run driver knocked Yahaya Suleiman and Emeka off the overhead bridge at the Kara Market on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, resulting in their tragic deaths.

Thediscovererng.com Online gathered that the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. on Monday when the driver lost control of his vehicle and rammed into three travellers who were waiting for a commercial bus.

Thediscovererng.com Online also gathered that the third pedestrian, identified only as Ishola, is currently in the hospital fighting for his.

Issa, a pure water seller who witnessed the incident, told our correspondent on Tuesday that three pedestrians were struck by the driver, and two of them fell from the bridge due to the impact.

Issa said, “The driver was speeding, and I think he lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the three people who were waiting by the roadside to board a bus. The impact of the hit knocked two of the three travellers off the bridge. The driver sped off immediately after.”

The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Online on Tuesday and revealed that Suleiman and Emeka, who were knocked off the bridge, died in the hospital.

She said, “They were taken to the Lagos State Emergency Clinic at the old toll gate in the Ojota Area of Lagos State. The two travellers who fell off the bridge were confirmed dead minutes after they were rushed to the hospital.

“The driver was believed to have lost control of his vehicle before ramming into the three travellers who were waiting to board a vehicle on the bridge. The third traveller, Ishola, sustained serious injuries. He is still in the hospital.

“The corpses of the victims have been taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in the Sagamu area of Ogun State for preservation and autopsy. We are making efforts to trace the family of the deceased to inform them about the incident. We are also working on identifying and arresting the driver.”

In the first half of 2024, Ogun State witnessed a disturbing trend of pedestrian fatalities on major highways, with at least four deaths resulting from suspected hit-and-run incidents between January and June. One of the earliest cases occurred in January 2024, when a Nigerian Police Force Inspector, Bulus Joel, tragically lost his life in a hit-and-run accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Earlier this month, a fatal accident on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway claimed the life of 22-year-old Elizabeth James, who was knocked down while traveling.