One person has been killed and several others injured after a truck lost control and crashed into the Isheri market at OPIC junction along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday morning.
The truck, which was inbound to Ibadan, Oyo State, reportedly suffered a brake failure before veering off course and ploughing into the market area.
The deceased has been identified as a tea seller. Witnesses say the victim was serving a customer moments before the tragic incident occurred.
“I’m the security man of this place. Every morning, I sit with my people before they open for the day because I work at night,” one eyewitness told a television station. “I had just called the tea seller to give me tea, and I had only tasted it once when I heard loud noises. I stood up, and the truck pushed me and I fell. It’s God that saved me that I fell to the right side. If I had fallen the other way, I would have died. The man who gives me tea is the one who died.”
Another witness, a motorcyclist, confirmed that the driver lost control due to brake failure. “While I was at OPIC bus stop roundabout, a container truck coming from Lagos reached the OPIC stop. There was no traffic on the expressway. He didn’t have brakes when he tried to enter the estate. He then crashed into the market and killed a person,” the motorcyclist said.
Emergency responders and local authorities promptly arrived at the scene. The truck driver has been arrested and is currently in the custody of the Isheri Tactical Unit as investigations continue.