Nighttime Collision on Ijebu-Ode Expressway Involving Construction Truck and Passenger Bus Results in Four Fatalities

A speeding bus collided with a stranded Julius Berger truck on the Ijebu-Ode–Ore expressway, resulting in four deaths and sparking a safety investigation.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 24, 2026, 6:07 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Sun Nigeria

Fatal Impact at the Ijebu-Imushin Axis

A high speed collision on the Ijebu-Ode–Ore expressway has claimed the lives of four individuals during the late hours of Monday night. According to the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the incident occurred at approximately 11:16 p.m. involving a white Toyota Hiace bus and a heavy duty MAN Diesel truck belonging to the construction firm Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. The impact was so severe that all four passengers in the bus, identified as two men and two women, were killed immediately. Preliminary reports indicate that the bus was traveling at a significant velocity when it encountered the heavy vehicle, leaving the victims with no chance of survival.

Mechanical Failure Leading to Roadway Hazards

The circumstances surrounding the crash highlight a critical failure in vehicle recovery protocols on one of the region’s busiest transit routes. The MAN Diesel truck was being towed at the time of the incident, but the operation turned fatal when the towing chain snapped unexpectedly. This mechanical failure left the massive construction vehicle stationary and unlit in the middle of the dark expressway. According to investigators, the driver of the towing vehicle fled the scene shortly after the chain broke, leaving the stranded truck as a lethal obstacle for oncoming traffic.

Speeding Identified as Primary Contributing Factor

While the stationary truck created the initial danger, the Federal Road Safety Corps has pointed to excessive speed as the catalyst for the high fatality rate of the crash. According to the agency’s preliminary findings, the driver of the Toyota Hiace was unable to react or decelerate in time to avoid the massive obstacle in its path. The disparity in size between the passenger bus and the construction truck exacerbated the force of the impact. This tragedy serves as a grim reminder of how the combination of mechanical negligence and a lack of speed discipline can turn a routine journey into a mass casualty event.