Dead bodies at the scene of accident (Photo credit: Tunde Odesola)

No fewer than 17 persons lost their lives after an over-speeding trailer tumbled down the expressway in the Adeosun area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Sunday.

The accident happened in the morning around 7am occurred on the portion of the expressway which had been recently reconstructed injured more than 79 persons.

A victim, who lost two relatives, covered the faces of the deceased with clothes as she broke down in tears.

One of the victims of the accident who survived was inconsolable as he couldn't stop shouting. The man identified as Mohammed shouted Allah as he wailed and knelt down between the two corpses weeping bitterly.

One of the survivors of the accident, who gave his name as Mohammed Seripino, said the trailer was coming from Kaduna and had travelled all night. Most of the dead victims were in the trailer coming from Kaduna.

He said each passenger paid N1,000 as transport fare, adding that the journey from Kaduna was smooth before the accident occurred.

“We are all Hausa. We were coming from Kaduna. Each passenger paid N1,000. This (accident) is not good,” he said.

An eyewitness, who gave his name as Yinka Dada saw all that happened and narrated: “I saw everything. I was by the roadside when the accident occurred. I was with my son who was going to Lagos when I saw two vehicles speeding as if they were competing in a race.

“The other vehicle was able to control the wheel, while the driver of the trailer lost control, tumbled down the expressway, and spilled out the passengers one after another.”

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps at the Ibadan Tollgate Unit, who came for rescue operation, refused to give more details.

“We cannot talk to you now. I am not the boss here. I have bosses who can talk to you later if you come to our unit at the tollgate. You can see we are busy now,” the official said.

However, the FRSC said 17 people died in the accident, while 79 others were injured.

The Oyo State Sector Commander, FRSC, Yusuf Salami, said the accident involved an articulated vehicle and a Peugeot J5 vehicle.

He explained that both vehicles were travelling to Lagos, adding that the accident was caused by impatience, speeding and struggle for right of way.

He said, “A Peugeot J5 with number plate, XS 626 LSV, and a DAF articulated vehicle with number plate, AA 902 MML, had an accident as both drivers were struggling for the right of the way. They were both going to Lagos when the accident happened around 9.30am on Sunday. It happened just before the campus of the Dominion University in Sepo, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“There were 96 people involved, with 17 confirmed dead. It is obvious that both drivers were speeding and suddenly lost control of the vehicles. The Peugeot bus was loaded with passengers and goods, but the casualty figure rose because the other vehicle was travelling to Lagos with huge number of illegal passengers.” For more pictures visit http://adenaij..com