Truck vs Bus Accident on Otedola Bridge Causes Traffic

It happened again. On Friday a collision on the inbound side of Otedola Bridge, heading toward the Secretariat in Lagos, involved a 14-tyre tipper truck and a commercial inter-state bus. The heavy vehicle carrying granite apparently crashed into the barrier and spilled its load near the Capital Oil junction.

According to a statement by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) issued via its X account, the collision involved:

• A tipper truck (14-tyre) laden with granite.

• An inter-state commercial Mazda bus.

• The tipper truck crashed into the road barrier and spilled its contents opposite the Capital Oil station just before the expressway on the Otedola Bridge inward Secretariat.

• LASTMA reported no fatalities from this crash at the time; recovery operations and traffic management were in progress. Channels Television+2Businessday NG+2

This crash comes just one day after another fatal incident on the nearby Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, involving multiple trucks and resulting in at least eight casualties.

What stands out:

• Heavy vehicles (trucks, trailers) repeatedly involved.

• Major traffic disruption and gridlock. The Otedola crash reportedly caused a seven-hour backlog. 

• Recurring theme of “contest for right-of-way” or brake failure. In one prior incident, LASTMA cited “drivers were trying to contest the way” on the Otedola axis. 

Why this stretch is proving dangerous

To be frank (and this may be familiar to many commuters):

• The route is busy and complex, merging lanes, heavy traffic, frequent mixing of heavy-duty trucks and passenger buses.

• When large vehicles carry heavy loads (wheat, granite, etc), any error gets magnified.

• Infrastructure and driver discipline matters: slope, visibility, road design, these make a difference. One motorist said the sloping nature of the road contributed to inability to brake in time.

• Enforcement and accountability may be weak. LASTMA itself lamented “persistent indiscipline and disregard for safety regulations” among truck drivers. 

What this means for commuters, authorities, and policy

• For commuters: plan alternatives. If you’re travelling through the Berger–Otedola–Ijebu corridor, allow for delays or choose a different route when you hear of heavy-vehicle incidents.

• For authorities: there’s a clear need for stricter oversight, brake check-points, enforcement of heavy-vehicle lanes, driver training, load-limits enforcement.

• For public policy: this is more than “just another crash”. It reflects systemic risk on major corridors. With logistics booming in Nigeria, heavy-vehicle safety must become a priority.

While no fatalities have been reported for the latest crash (according to available public statements), the frequency and severity of these incidents should not be taken lightly. Even when lives are spared, the ripple effects, hours trapped in traffic, economic loss, stress, increased fares, accumulate.