A devastating accident on Wednesday night claimed the lives of a pregnant woman, her child, and six others in Akungba-Akoko, a university community in the Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The crash, which involved a truck loaded with Dangote Cement, occurred around 8:00 p.m. near the main gate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), close to the Holy Trinity Church.
Eyewitnesses reported that the truck, which was transporting cement from Obajana in Kogi State, reportedly suffered brake failure before veering off the road and ramming into traders and pedestrians in the busy area.
Angry residents and sympathisers at the scene blamed the tragedy on the removal of a barricade that had previously restricted heavy-duty vehicles from passing through the community. They lamented that the latest crash revived painful memories of several fatal accidents that had occurred in the same location in past years.
One eyewitness alleged that the barricade had been exploited by some youths in the community to extort money from truck drivers. “Those boys used to collect ₦10,000 from truck drivers before allowing them to pass. The government ignored it,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, Mr. Ibitoye, said eight people lost their lives in the accident.
He stated, “The victims include five men, two women, and a child. The truck lost control after running into a barricade in front of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, which led to the fatal crash.”
