Friday, December 26, 2025 - The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has confirmed the death of two persons in a tanker explosion along Badagry Expressway.
Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager, LASTMA, confirmed
the incident in a statement on Thursday.
He said the tanker explosion which involved a Mack Truck
conveying diesel occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Oto–Ijanikin
axis, in the vicinity of the Lagos State University of Education, LASUED,
inward Agbara, along the Lagos – Badagry Expressway.
Bakare-Oki said preliminary findings attributed the incident
to over speeding, leading to the tanker driver losing control of the vehicle
while attempting to overtake another road user.
“The vehicle subsequently crashed and erupted into a raging
inferno, tragically trapping and claiming the lives of the driver and an adult
female occupant,” he said.
Bakare-Oki said personnel of the agency, who were actively
monitoring and managing vehicular movement within the corridor, swiftly secured
and cordoned off the affected stretch of the expressway to forestall secondary
incidents.
He said the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (Ojo Unit),
Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the Ijanikin Police Division were promptly
notified for urgent emergency response and security reinforcement.
“In a further demonstration of vigilance and unwavering
commitment to public safety, LASTMA operatives prevented members of the public
who had converged on the scene with assorted containers from scooping the
spilled diesel.
“This is an extremely hazardous act capable of triggering
further explosions and avoidable fatalities.
“This timely intervention effectively averted a potential
escalation of the tragedy prior to the arrival of other emergencies and
security agencies,” he said.
He said that following the successful containment of the
blaze and clearance by relevant authorities, the burnt tanker was evacuated
from the expressway by LASTMA personnel while remains of burnt bodies were
removed by FRSC.
Bakare-Oki expressed deep sorrow and extended heartfelt
condolences to the families of the deceased.
He described the incident as deeply painful and entirely
avoidable, reaffirming the authority’s steadfast commitment to road safety and
the sanctity of lives.
He noted that the incident has underscored the need for
tanker and articulated vehicle drivers to exercise caution, observe prescribed
speed limits and comply strictly with all traffic regulations.
“Reckless driving and speeding remain dominant factors in
fatal road traffic crashes across the metropolis,” he said.
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