Chaos erupted on Sunday after a series of road accidents across major Lagos routes caused widespread traffic disruption, leaving commuters stranded for several hours.
On the Kara Bridge stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a chain collision involving an overturned truck carrying flour, a Toyota Corolla, a Toyota RAV4 SUV, and two fully loaded interstate Mazda buses brought traffic to a standstill. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident via its X handle.
According to the agency, the multiple-vehicle crash occurred on Kara Bridge inward Mowe, blocking several lanes and triggering massive gridlock. Eyewitness accounts revealed that traffic congestion stretched as far as the Alausa Secretariat, with delays lasting from afternoon into the evening.
LASTMA emergency teams promptly moved in to clear the wreckage, reopening parts of the road and easing traffic flow. Motorists were advised to remain patient as recovery efforts continued. Traffic officers were also deployed to affected areas such as Magodo, Omole Junction, and Ogunnusi Road, working alongside the Federal Road Safety Corps to manage the congestion.
In a separate incident along the Ojota–Ketu inbound section of Ikorodu Road, a commercial Volkswagen bus driver suffered fractures following a three-vehicle collision. Preliminary findings showed that a Toyota Sienna had slowed to allow pedestrians cross, with a mini-truck behind it, when a speeding Volkswagen bus failed to brake in time and crashed into the vehicles.
LASTMA officials arrived swiftly at the scene, deploying specialized rescue tools to free the trapped driver, who was subsequently rushed to a hospital for urgent treatment. Their prompt response helped prevent further accidents and restore traffic movement. Officers from the Nigeria Police Area ‘H’ Ogudu Division also secured the area and maintained order.
Reacting to the incidents, the Lagos State Government, through the Special Adviser on Transportation, Sola Giwa, expressed sympathy and wished the injured driver a quick recovery. He commended LASTMA for its professionalism and rapid response, stressing that strict adherence to speed limits, patience, and alertness—particularly in pedestrian-heavy zones—are essential to reducing road crashes.
Similarly, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to effective traffic monitoring, swift emergency response, and proactive traffic control, urging all road users to cooperate with traffic officials and obey road safety regulations to safeguard lives.