Two people died and several others were injured in a multiple-vehicle and pedestrian crash on the Ibadan–Lagos Expressway at Soka Junction in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State. The accident occurred around 10:10 pm on Saturday, April 4, 2026, when a white HOWO truck with registration number Gombe GEM 696 XE, driven by Abdullahi Bashiru, reportedly lost control due to excessive speed and reckless driving. The truck plowed into other vehicles and pedestrians, damaging a Toyota Venza, a BMW, and other cars. Olayinka Ayanlade, Police Public Relations Officer for Oyo State Police Command, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday. He said preliminary investigations pointed to reckless driving as the cause of the crash. The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a swift recovery. A full investigation has been launched to determine the complete circumstances of the incident. Motorists were urged to follow traffic rules and avoid speeding to prevent further tragedies.
Abdullahi Bashiru's alleged loss of control at high speed underscores how individual actions can quickly turn deadly on Nigeria's major highways. When drivers ignore basic safety rules, the consequences spill beyond their own vehicle, endangering pedestrians and other road users. This crash at Soka Junction is another grim example of how poorly enforced traffic laws continue to cost lives on the Lagos-Ibadan route. For Nigerians, it means every journey on such roads carries not just the risk of delay, but of fatality.
