The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed eight persons dead in a crash in the Badagry area of the state.

The tragic pre-dawn collision occurred on Sunday at Atura bus-stop, inbound Badagry with driver and conductor of a 16-seater commercial Mazda bus among those who perished.

According to the Director of Public Affairs LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, the accident, involving the bus with registration N0. KJA 811 YF and truck with registration DAFT1 4636 LA, plunged the Badagry community into mourning.
He said: “The tragic incident occurred when the commercial bus driver, traveling at a perilously high speed, lost control and collided catastrophically with the DAF truck. The impact was described as “cataclysmic,” offering little chance for survival to several occupants.

“Responding with commendable speed, operatives from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), working in concert with personnel from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force (Morogbo Division), and the 244 Battalion of the Nigerian Army (Ibereko Barracks), launched a coordinated rescue operation.

“Their timely intervention led to the successful extraction of eight surviving passengers, all of whom sustained varying degrees of trauma. These casualties were immediately rushed to the General Hospital in Badagry via an FRSC vehicle for critical medical attention,” Adebayo said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager of LASTMA, who visited the crash site, extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

“This heart-wrenching incident is a painful reminder of the fragility of life and the urgent need for all road users to embrace caution. No journey should end in such tragedy,” he said.
He also wished quick recovery to the survivors.

But, Bakare-Oki, warned commercial and heavy-duty vehicle operators, urging them to “eschew excessive speeding,” adhere strictly to safety protocols, and ensure regular vehicle maintenance to prevent such avoidable fatalities.

“This regrettable loss of lives could have been avoided if the basic tenets of defensive driving and vehicular safety had been upheld. Speed remains a silent killer on our highways,” he stated.