BLACK FRIDAY ON KARA BRIDGE: One Dead, Hundreds Stranded As Multiple Truck Crashes Ground Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

By David Alani Ige

July 24, 2026

   

LAGOS — Economic activities along the nation's busiest transport corridor were brought to a sudden halt early Friday morning after multiple severe crashes on the Kara Bridge axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway left one person dead, several others injured, and thousands of commuters stranded.

The devastating gridlock, which has heavily spilled over to the Otedola Bridge, Isheri-Olowora axis, and Ogunusi Road, was triggered by two separate accidents that occurred just hours apart on both the outbound and inbound carriageways of the bridge.

The Midnight Carnage (Outbound to Ibadan)

According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the first accident occurred at approximately 12:05 a.m. on the outbound lane heading towards Ibadan.

Confirming the incident to Ayekooto Media, the Lagos Sector Public Education Officer, Elizabeth Jayeola, disclosed that the crash involved five heavily articulated trucks and a Toyota Sienna. Preliminary investigations point to severe speed violations and loss of control by one of the truck drivers.

"A total of seven adult males were involved in the crash," Jayeola stated. "One person lost his life, one sustained injuries, while five others escaped unhurt. Due to the position of one of the heavily loaded trucks, the body of the deceased was trapped underneath the vehicle, necessitating the deployment of heavy-duty recovery equipment."

The Second Crash (Inbound to Lagos)

As FRSC, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and police operatives battled through the night to clear the wreckage and recover the trapped body, a second disaster struck.

At exactly 3:15 a.m., on the inbound lane heading into Lagos, a lone Mazda commercial bus suffered a sudden brake failure, leading to another devastating crash. The driver, who sustained severe injuries, was promptly rescued by the FRSC emergency response team and rushed to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre for urgent medical treatment. 

Travel Advisory & Alternatives for Motorists

By daybreak, the traffic buildup had evolved into a massive backlog. Stranded commuters were seen trekking for miles to bypass the paralyzed bridge, while commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) capitalized on the situation to ferry desperate passengers.

In a bid to manage the chaos, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) temporarily opened one-way traffic from the Ojodu-Berger axis down to the OPIC turning.

The FRSC Sector Commander, Kehinde Ganiyu Hamzat, expressed deep sympathies to the families of the victims while issuing a strong travel advisory to the public. Motorists are urged to exercise extreme patience and cooperate with traffic managers currently on the ground.

Alternative Routes Recommended by the FRSC:

Motorists travelling outward from Lagos towards Ibadan are strongly advised to divert through the Ikorodu-Sagamu route.

Commuters heading into Lagos from the hinterlands should consider utilizing the Lekki-Epe Expressway or the Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway to avoid the Kara-Ojodu Berger bottleneck until recovery operations are fully concluded.

Ayekooto Media is actively monitoring the traffic situation and will provide further updates as the wreckage is cleared.

David Alani Ige,(The Scribe)

Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Ayekooto Media

Phunshor01@gmail.com | publisher@ayekootomediang.com

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