A joint security task force comprising the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Navy, TRACE operatives and the Fire Service has cleared roadside traders and removed makeshift shops at the Sango-Ota Tollgate area of Ota, Ogun State, following a fatal accident that claimed several lives and left many others critically injured.
According to ObjecTV Media, which confirmed the development on Thursday morning, the operation took place a day after the tragic incident. The outlet reported that the clearance exercise was carried out at the tollgate by the joint task force, during which shanties and roadside stalls were dismantled and traders dislodged from the area.
The development comes just days after a ghastly multiple crash at the Sango-Ota Tollgate axis along the busy Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. Reports indicate that no fewer than six persons were confirmed dead, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The accident involved a Mack tanker loaded with groundnut oil, a commercial tricycle popularly known as “Marwa,” and a Suzuki mini-bus, also called “Korope.” Eyewitnesses said the tanker driver, who was reportedly travelling from Ota towards Lagos, allegedly drove recklessly and rammed into other vehicles and pedestrians near the tollgate.
The impact of the crash caused panic among commuters and residents in the area. Emergency responders, including TRACE operatives led by the Ota Divisional Commander, Salau Hammed, worked alongside other agencies to rescue victims trapped in the wreckage.
The accident resulted in heavy traffic congestion along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, leaving many motorists stranded for hours and disrupting movement between Lagos and Ogun states.
Confirming the incident, Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), disclosed that no fewer than six vehicles were involved in the crash.
He listed some of the affected vehicles as a truck with registration number EKY 913YH (white cab, green body), a Suzuki mini-bus with registration number SMK 16YK (yellow), and a TVS tricycle with registration number AAA 840QM (yellow), among others.
According to Akinbiyi, the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the Ifo State Mortuary, while the injured victims were rescued and taken to the Ogun State Hospital, Ota, for treatment. He urged motorists to obey traffic rules and drive carefully, especially on major highways, to prevent avoidable loss of lives.