18 die in Lagos/Ibadan Expressway accident

No fewer than 18 persons were feared dead in an accident involving a
Ford Explorer jeep and a Mazda bus at Alapako area on Lagos/Ibadan
Expressway on Sunday.

Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer, Ogun Traffic
Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) confirmed the incident to
newsmen on Sunday.

Akinbiyi stated that the accident happened around 6:30 pm at the
diversion end in Alapako on the Lagos /Ibadan Expressway.

He explained that the accident was caused by wrongful overtaking on
the part of the Mazda bus, which led to a head on collision with the
Jeep.

"The accident involved 19 people, 18 people died while one person was
seriously injured.

"The Commercial Bus with registration number GGE 873 XU was trying to
overtake a vehicle in front before colliding with the Ford Explorer
Jeep with registration number KJA 278 DS coming from the opposite
direction.

"All the 18 passengers in the bus died while the driver in the Jeep ,
the only occupant, sustained injury.

"Seven of the dead passengers were evacuated by our officers and their
remains deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara-Remo, while the remains of
another three, who were initially injured but died later, were
deposited at Isara General Hospital," he said.

The TRACE spokesman said that the bodies of the remaining eight
passengers were evacuated by the officials of the Federal Road Safety
Corps (FRSC) and could not confirm where they were taken to.

He said that the accidented vehicles had been taken to Alapako Police Station.