A tragic accident occurred on Wednesday morning at Isheri Market, near the OPIC bus stop along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, after a trailer reportedly suffered brake failure and veered into the crowded market area.
According to eyewitnesses, the truck was approaching the OPIC area from Lagos when the driver lost control due to a mechanical fault. A commercial motorcyclist who witnessed the incident said:
“I was at the OPIC roundabout when the trailer approached. There was no traffic on the road, but the driver apparently had no brakes. As he attempted to turn into the estate, he crashed straight into the market and killed one person.”
The trailer, in an attempt to avoid the estate gate, swerved right and rammed into several market stalls, injuring multiple people and destroying goods and structures.
The only confirmed fatality was a local tea vendor, who was attending to his customers at the time of the crash. A night security guard, who was among the injured, shared his near-death experience:
“I had just ordered tea and taken my first sip when I heard the crash. The truck pushed me, and I fell. It’s only by God’s grace that I rolled to the right — if I had gone the other way, I wouldn’t be alive. The tea vendor who served me was the one who died.”
The exact number of injured persons has not yet been confirmed, but several individuals were seen receiving first aid on site.
Eyewitnesses credited two parked vehicles—a van and a Toyota Sienna—with helping to reduce the impact of the crash. The vehicles, parked in front of the market, are believed to have slowed down the truck’s momentum, possibly preventing more deaths.
Emergency responders and law enforcement officials are currently on the scene, working to clear the debris and assess the full extent of the damage. The driver of the truck has been arrested and is now in custody at the Isheri Tactical Unit as investigations continue.
