Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
An adult female passenger lost her life, and four other people sustained serious injuries in a head‑on collision involving two fully loaded commercial Toyota Sienna buses on the Third Mainland Bridge in the early hours of Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
The crash occurred near the Iyana‑Iworo axis of the 11.8‑kilometre bridge, one of West Africa’s longest and Lagos’s busiest traffic corridor. Preliminary investigations by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) indicated that reckless driving by one of the Toyota Sienna buses triggered the collision, causing the two vehicles to smash into each other from opposite directions.
“The two vehicles involved were fully loaded commercial buses,” said Mr. Olawale Afolabi, Head of Public Affairs of LASEMA, in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). “The injured victims were immediately evacuated to a nearby trauma centre for urgent medical attention”.
Emergency responders were alerted to the scene in the early hours of the day. LASEMA’s Tiger Squad from the C3 Command was activated at about 7:26 a.m. and arrived around 8:00 a.m. to coordinate rescue and recovery operations. Officers from the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) worked alongside the agency’s team to secure the accident scene, manage traffic, and clear the wreckage, which had caused significant gridlock on the bridge.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke‑Osanyintolu, described the crash as entirely preventable. “We urge all motorists to strictly adhere to traffic regulations,” he said, stressing the need for caution on major highways. “Excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking, and poor lane discipline should be avoided at all costs”.
The identity of the deceased woman has not been released pending notification of her family. The four injured passengers remain under medical care, with authorities saying their conditions are serious but stable.
Tuesday’s fatal collision adds to a growing list of preventable accidents on Lagos roads. The Lagos State Government has repeatedly called for better driver behaviour, especially on the Third Mainland Bridge, which connects the mainland to the island and carries hundreds of thousands of commuters daily.
Motorists are once again reminded to maintain lane discipline, avoid excessive speed, and cooperate fully with traffic managers to prevent future tragedies.
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