Six people, including a motorcyclist, were killed on Tuesday when a trailer carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit lost control and ran over several tricycles in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Online that the accident occurred at the Fruits Market along the Oje-Beere route in Ibadan South East Local Government Area. The trailer reportedly suffered brake failure while descending the busy Mapo-Beere-Oje roads.
One of the affected tricycle drivers, Ademola Aderibigbe, who sustained minor leg injuries, said he narrowly escaped death.
“I was so lucky. I was around Beere roundabout, testing my tricycle after leaving the mechanic workshop.
“Suddenly, I heard a terrible sound pushing me aside. By the time I came out of the tricycle, the trailer was already heading towards the Oje axis,” he said.
Aderibigbe added that the truck crushed more than five tricycles, killing six people on the spot. “There was a woman whose remains were packed inside polythene,” he said.
Another eyewitness, Suleiman Oguntayo, lamented the frequency of accidents on the route. “The driver lost control at Beere end of the road, running over two tricycles and killing the passengers before heading to the popular Oje market, where four more people died. Several others are receiving treatment at hospitals in town,” he said.
A relation of one of the victims, speaking at Mapo Divisional Police Station, said the deceased had just christened his daughter three days ago. “My brother is gone. He left behind a 10-day-old child,” the relative said, weeping.
An Okada rider, who identified himself as Gafaru, claimed the death toll could be higher than six, noting that some corpses were packed in polythene and could not be identified.
Confirming the incident, a senior police officer said the case would be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
The Oyo Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the accident but could not provide the final number of casualties.
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