Lagos residents decry incessant crashes in Badagry

Residents of Badagry area of Lagos State have expressed concern over the rising number of accidents and fatalities on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

Our correspondent learnt that accidents occur daily on the road.

It was gathered that two persons died in a crash on the expressway on October 27, 2024.

Confirming the accident, the Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Williams Manga, said the accident occurred at 7:10 a.m. opposite the Mammy Market Barracks axis of the expressway.

A multiple-vehicle accident also occurred on the road on November 3, 2024, resulting in the death of one person as confirmed by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, a resident of the area, Manoah Kikekon, attributed the series of accidents to the slow pace of the ongoing road construction.

“Accidents are recorded daily on the Badagry expressway because the road construction has been ongoing for over 10 years. Drivers now speed on the single lane that is accessible, where vehicles are moving in both directions. Fatal accidents often occur on this lane,” Kikekon noted.

He added that he witnessed an accident along the Oko Afo axis in which three people lost their lives.

He recounted, “There was also a man who was traveling with his children; he survived, but tragically, his children did not. Along areas like Mowo, Aradagun, and others, many lives have been lost—if I am not exaggerating, about 50 people have died. There is no pedestrian bridge along the road.”

Another resident, Dovoeke Daniel, called on the government to expedite work on the reconstruction of the road to address driving against traffic, which was the major cause of accidents.

Daniel also blamed the rising number of accidents to the carelessness of drivers and traffic officers.

Also speaking, another resident, Victoria Anagun, noted that the expressway had claimed many lives and brought sorrow to many families.

Reacting to the matter, an emergency call agent of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who identified herself as Bola, said the management of the FRSC would be informed about the situation, stating that it was the commission’s duty to address the black spot.