Tragedy struck on Wednesday morning when a trailer reportedly suffered brake failure and crashed into the bustling Isheri Market near the OPIC bus stop along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The accident left one person dead, several others injured, and multiple properties destroyed.
According to eyewitnesses, the trailer, which was coming from the Lagos axis, lost control as it approached the OPIC area. A commercial motorcyclist at the scene recounted the terrifying moment.
“I was at the OPIC bus stop roundabout when the trailer approached from Lagos. There was no traffic on the road. The driver appeared to lose control after his brakes failed while trying to enter the estate. To avoid hitting the estate gate, he swerved right and rammed into the market, killing one person,” he said.
The lone fatality was identified as a local tea vendor who was serving his regular morning customers at the time of the crash. One of the injured victims, a night security guard at the market, shared his narrow escape.
“I work night shifts and usually sit with some of the vendors before they open for the day. I had just ordered tea from the vendor and had taken a sip when I heard a loud noise. I stood up, and the truck struck me, knocking me to the ground,” he recalled. “It was by God’s grace that I fell to the right—had I fallen to the other side, I wouldn’t be alive. The tea seller who served me died on the spot.”
The exact number of injured victims remains unconfirmed, but several people were reportedly treated for various injuries.
Eyewitnesses credited two parked vehicles—a van and a Toyota Sienna—with minimizing the impact of the crash. Positioned directly in front of the market, the vehicles are believed to have absorbed part of the trailer’s momentum, potentially preventing a higher casualty count.
Emergency responders and local authorities swiftly arrived at the scene and are currently working to clear the wreckage and evaluate the full extent of the damage.
The trailer driver has been taken into custody by the Isheri Tactical Unit, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
