Trag£dy in Ibadan as truck crush£s 3 students, Okada Rider to d£ath
Four people, including three secondary school students and a commercial motorcycle rider, have d!ed in a fatal road acc!dent in the Oluyole Local Government Area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning around 9 a.m. along the Abanla–Idi-Ayunre road when a truck owned by a construction company crushed a motorcycle carrying the students of Prospect High School, Abanla.
Eyewitnesses said the truck, in a failed attempt to overtake another vehicle, rammed into the motorcycle. The motorcyclist and two students d!ed on the spot, while the third student later d!ed at a nearby hospital.
Following the incident, angry students and residents took to the streets in protest, blocking the road and demanding justice. Commercial motorcyclists and other community members joined in solidarity, expressing frustration over the frequent accidents caused by heavy-duty vehicles on the route.
Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Asiwaju Akeem Olatunji, who visited the scene alongside police and other security officials, confirmed the incident and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of young lives.
“This is one tragedy too many. I can only imagine what the families of these future leaders are going through. We cannot continue to lose our children to preventable accidents caused by reckless drivers,” he said.
Olatunji condemned the actions of both reckless truck and motorcycle operators, blaming the crash partly on non-compliance with traffic regulations. He said the motorcycle rider had violated the passenger limit, making it harder to maneuver safely.
He announced several immediate actions, including the directive that all quarry trucks carrying asphalt, granite, or similar materials must be properly covered to prevent spillage. He also ordered the immediate construction of speed breakers along the accident-prone road and the clearing of surrounding bushes to improve visibility.
The council chairman assured the grieving families that justice would be pursued, and revealed that the truck had been impounded by police. He also pledged that the construction company would be held accountable and mandated to compensate the affected families.
Discussions are already underway with the company to enforce stricter safety measures and driver discipline.
Meanwhile, the truck driver fled the scene after the crash and remains at large. Police have launched a manhunt to apprehend him.
At Prospect High School, the atmosphere remains somber as students and staff mourn the tragic loss of their classmates.
