Six people killed after being crushed by a trailer in Oyo

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A petrol-laden trailer on Tuesday crushed six persons to death, including a motorcyclist, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

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The truck, said to be carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, was also reported to have destroyed about five tricycles in the incident.

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Our correspondent, who visited the scene and the Mapo Police Station, gathered that the accident occurred at the Fruits Market along the Oje–Beere route in the Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of the state.

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Eyewitnesses attributed the crash to brake failure as the truck descended the busy Mapo–Beere–Oje road.

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One of the affected tricycle riders, Ademola Aderibigbe, who sustained a minor leg injury, said he narrowly escaped death after his tricycle was hit by the tanker.

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“I was very lucky. I had just left a mechanic workshop and was testing my tricycle around the Beere roundabout when I suddenly heard a loud noise. The impact pushed me aside. By the time I got out with an injury on my leg, the trailer had already sped off towards the Oje axis,” he said.

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He added that several tricycles were crushed in the process.

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Another eyewitness, Suleiman Oguntayo, lamented the recurring accidents along the route.

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“The driver lost control at the Beere end of the road and ran over two tricycles, killing passengers before heading towards Oje market.

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Efforts to stop the truck failed as it continued and killed more people there. The victims died on the spot, while others injured are receiving treatment in hospitals,” he said.

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Oguntayo called on the state and local governments, as well as relevant enforcement agencies, to address the persistent accidents in the area.

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At the Mapo Divisional Police Station, a grieving relative of one of the victims recounted the loss amid tears.

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“My brother just named his daughter three days ago. I thought he would survive, but he later died in the hospital. He left behind a 10-day-old baby,” the relative said.

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Another eyewitness, an okada rider identified simply as Gafaru, claimed that the death toll could be higher than reported, noting that some victims were yet to be identified.

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Confirming the incident, a senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said the case would be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

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The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, also confirmed the accident but said the exact number of casualties had yet to be ascertained as of press time.

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