Otedola Bridge: Repeated Crashes Raise Fresh Safety Concerns, Prompt Calls For Urgent Action
Repeated accidents on Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have renewed concerns over road safety, infrastructure management and the need for urgent preventive measures to avert further loss of lives.
The latest incident occurred on September 16, 2026, when five vehicles, including a containerised truck, a loaded trailer, another truck and two cars, were involved in a multiple collision on the outbound lane of the bridge.
According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the incident was triggered when a containerised truck developed a mechanical fault while in motion, lost control and rammed into three vehicles before another truck collided with the wreckage.
Five people were rescued alive, including a victim who was trapped inside a badly damaged vehicle. LASEMA said its response team arrived at the scene approximately 10 minutes after receiving the distress call. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the police and ambulance personnel also participated in the rescue and evacuation operation.
Although no fatality was recorded, the incident has renewed calls for government agencies to move beyond emergency response and implement long-term measures to prevent recurring crashes at the location.
Otedola Bridge has a history of serious accidents involving articulated vehicles, with previous incidents resulting in fatalities, vehicle destruction and prolonged traffic disruptions.
One of the most significant incidents occurred on June 28, 2018, when a fuel-laden tanker crashed and exploded on the bridge. The FRSC initially confirmed nine deaths at the scene and reported that 54 vehicles, including buses, trucks, a tricycle and cars, were burnt.
The incident highlighted the potential for a single crash involving a heavy-duty vehicle to escalate into a major disaster, particularly on a busy transport corridor.
An FRSC analysis of the Kara Bridge, Otedola Bridge and OPIC corridor recorded 256 road traffic crashes between January 2018 and June 2020. Of the total, 39 occurred at Otedola Bridge, accounting for 15 per cent of the crashes recorded across the corridor.
The report identified speed violations as the leading recorded contributory factor, followed by brake failure, mechanical deficiencies and tyre bursts. It also documented 36 fatal crashes across the corridor during the period under review.
