Governor Abiodun Orders Full Probe Into Fatal Ota Toll Gate Tanker Crash That Claimed Seven Lives

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has vowed that there will be no “State of Harmony” for reckless drivers following a devastating tanker crash at the Old Toll Gate in Ota on Tuesday morning. The accident, which claimed seven lives and left two others fighting for survival, has sparked an immediate executive order for a full-scale investigation into the tragedy.

The carnage unfolded around 8:00 a.m. when an articulated truck laden with vegetable oil reportedly suffered a catastrophic brake failure while navigating the busy Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway. Witnesses described a scene of horror as the driver lost control, crushing a mini-bus and a tricycle before plowing into pedestrians standing by the roadside. By the time emergency responders from the FRSC and TRACE arrived, six men and one woman had been confirmed dead.

In a blistering reaction on Tuesday evening, Governor Abiodun characterized the loss of innocent lives as “avoidable and painful.” He directed security agencies to not only investigate the specific mechanics of this crash but to also clamp down on the “reckless driving habits” that have turned the Sango–Ota corridor into a high-risk zone for commuters.

“The loss of innocent lives due to preventable negligence is one too many,” the Governor stated. “I have directed an immediate investigation, and I want to be clear: anyone found culpable must face the full weight of the law. We cannot allow our roads to become graveyards due to the failure of truck owners to maintain their vehicles.”

In tandem with the Governor’s directive, the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Chairman, Lawal Adewale Wasiu, has already begun a “sanitization” of the area. Following a visit to the crash site, Wasiu ordered the immediate clearance of illegal traders who occupy the road shoulders, noting that their presence significantly increases the casualty count during such brake-failure incidents.

As the injured survivors undergo treatment at the Ota General Hospital, the state government has reaffirmed its resolve to intensify road safety enforcement. For the families of the seven victims, the focus now shifts from the morgue at Ifo to the promised probe, as Ogun State seeks to hold the transport industry accountable for a morning that ended in preventable mourning.