Four people were killed and 10 others injured in a Thursday night crash on the Ilesa/Akure expressway in Osun State, authorities confirmed. The accident occurred around 9 p.m. at Omi Asoro junction when a Toyota Hiace commercial bus collided with a Suzuki mini‑bus. Agnes Ogungbemi, Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun, said two male adults and a female child died instantly, while another passenger died Friday morning. The victims’ remains were taken to Wesley Guild Hospital in Ilesa. She added that the mini‑bus driver had no valid licence, and that the injured included seven adults and three children. Witnesses said the Toyota bus, which was carrying phone accessories and electronic appliances, was heading toward Akure when it struck the mini‑bus operating within Ilesa metropolis.
The tragedy has sparked outrage on social media. One user on X wrote: “Four lives gone again on Ilesa/Akure road. When will FRSC enforce stricter checks on drivers?” Another lamented: “Children among the victims. This is heartbreaking. Road safety in Nigeria is a ticking time bomb.” A Facebook post from a local resident read: “This junction is notorious. Authorities must fix the road and stop unlicensed drivers before more lives are lost.”
Similar fatal crashes have occurred across Nigeria in recent months, underscoring the dangers of the country’s highways. In March, 14 people were killed in separate accidents in Niger and Ogun States, 10 in Niger when an overloaded vehicle lost control, and four in Ogun after a bus rammed into a broken‑down truck. In April, four died and eight were injured on the Lagos–Ibadan expressway when a Toyota Hiace bus suffered a tyre burst near Mowe. Civic groups have repeatedly warned about deadly crashes near Otedola Estate on the same expressway, where tanker accidents have claimed dozens of lives over the years.
Stakeholders in the transport sector say the Osun crash highlights the urgent need for stricter enforcement of licensing laws, better monitoring of commercial vehicles, and investment in safer roads. Policy analysts argue that without stronger regulation and public awareness campaigns, preventable accidents will continue to claim lives. For residents of Osun and beyond, the latest tragedy is another painful reminder of the dangers on Nigeria’s highways and the human cost of inadequate road safety measures.
