Wednesday 22nd January 2025 was a mourning day for the people of Oko-olowo area in Ilorin the Kwara State capital when about 16 people reportedly lost in a multiple auto crash involving a trailer and another vehicle.
Scores of the passengers sustained different degrees of injury.
Oko-olowo is very big community along the popular Ilorin-Jebba expressway, ROYAL NEWS reports.
A trailer with registration number AYE 218 XC collided with another commercial vehicle with registration number TTN 556 XA.
The two vehicles, according to the account, were traveling in opposite direction when they had head on collision at few minutes to 6pm on Wednesday.
It was gathered that one of the two vehicles involved in the accident was transporting cows and human passengers from Ilorin, to Ogbomoso, Oyo State, while the trailer was said to be travelling from Lagos to Kano.
Emergency responders and police officers from the ‘G’ Division Police Command, Oloje, were said to have arrived at the scene on time to take control of the situation, while the injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Bodies of the deceased victims were seen in a viral video circulating in the state around 9pm on the day of the incident with corpses of the victims scattered on the road.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation while the state command of the Federal Road Safety Corps was yet to issue official statement on the accident since it happened, except for confirmation got through telephone interview with a top official of the corps in the state.
It was gathered that the cause of the accident might not be unconnected with reckless driving and speeding.
A video of the incident recorded by one of the rescuers made available to our correspondent showed the truck that fell on its side with over 10 corpses scattered on the road.
A voice was heard calling on the government to take drastic measures to halt the frequent accidents on that corridor that had claimed several lives lately.
A senior officer of FRSC, Kwara command, who preferred not to be quoted said that 15 people died in the multiple crash while three were injured.
Speaking in a telephone chat on Thursday, the FRSC sector commander, Muftau Irekeola, confirmed the incident, saying that, “but I am still waiting for the details from my men in Olooru unit.
“That we have 15 casualties may not be far from the truth but I am still waiting for details.
“I am waiting for the details from my boys. It was a multiple accident involving a trailer and one Canter truck.”
