By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
TEN people, including a pregnant woman, were confirmed dead following a fatal road accident at Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State.
Eyewitnesses said the crash occurred when a truck laden with bags of cement lost control along the Owo–Akungba–Ikare Expressway and rammed into roadside shops, killing several people on the spot.
A resident recounted: “The driver lost control and swerved into the shops. We can’t tell how many people are still trapped under the truck.”
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, Samuel Ibitoye, confirmed the incident, explaining that the truck ran into a barricade near Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, before crashing.
“No fewer than eight people died — five males, two females, and one male child,” he said, adding that the victims’ bodies had been taken to the government hospital morgue in Akungba.
Ibitoye urged motorists to always ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and to observe traffic regulations to avoid similar tragedies.
Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Adekunle Ajasin University Students’ Union Government (SUG), Akinibobola Ajidagba, said the truck, allegedly belonging to the Dangote Group, suffered brake failure while descending from Ikare.
He noted that the vehicle destroyed a permanent barricade at the university’s main gate before crashing. “As it stands, close to ten people have lost their lives,” Ajidagba said, lamenting that repeated appeals to restrict heavy-duty trucks from plying Akungba roads had been ignored.
“We remain resolute in this struggle. Students are urged to stay calm, maintain peace, and stay off the highway for now,” he added.
Police authorities are yet to release an official statement, though one officer described the crash as “pathetic.”
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