Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has arrested a tanker driver who allegedly fled the scene after knocking down and killing a commercial dispatch rider in the Maryland-Ikeja area of Lagos, in an incident that has once again highlighted the dangers faced by riders navigating the state's busy roads. The fatal crash occurred on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at about noon along Kodesho Road, opposite MRS Filling Station, inward Awolowo Way/Oba Akran, according to a statement issued by LASTMA's Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq. The agency said the fully loaded tanker, bearing registration number T-19089LA, was conveying 33,000 litres of groundnut oil when it violently struck and fatally crushed the delivery rider, resulting in his instantaneous death.
Rather than stop after the collision, the driver allegedly attempted to flee the scene without rendering assistance to the victim or notifying the relevant authorities. LASTMA disclosed that its personnel immediately swung into action after receiving a distress alert about the incident and successfully tracked down the fleeing suspect before he could escape. “Upon receiving the distress alert, vigilant LASTMA Officers mounted an immediate pursuit, successfully intercepted the fleeing vehicle and apprehended the driver before he could escape,” the agency's statement read. Both the driver and the tanker have since been handed over to the State Traffic Department of the Nigeria Police, Area F Command, Ikeja, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
LASTMA officials also cordoned off the accident scene, directed traffic and coordinated emergency response efforts to minimise disruption to vehicular movement while recovery operations were carried out. According to the statement, fellow dispatch riders who witnessed the tragedy contacted the deceased's family to inform them of the incident while mourning the loss of their colleague. Reacting to the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the fatal crash as “both heartbreaking and avoidable.” He called on operators of tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles to exercise greater caution and professionalism while using public roads.
“He reiterated the Agency's unwavering commitment to road safety and passionately appealed to operators of articulated vehicles, tankers and other heavy-duty trucks to exercise the highest degree of professionalism, vigilance and compliance with all traffic regulations,” the statement noted. Bakare-Oki also warned motorists against reckless behaviour on the road, stressing that drivers who flee accident scenes would face the full consequences of the law. He said “reckless driving, excessive speed and the criminal act of fleeing accident scenes constitute grave offences that endanger innocent lives and attract the full weight of the law.”
The LASTMA boss reaffirmed the agency's commitment to working closely with the Nigeria Police Force and other emergency responders to improve road safety, ensure prompt response to accidents and maintain the free flow of traffic across Lagos State. The incident adds to a series of fatal crashes involving dispatch riders and heavy-duty vehicles reported in Lagos in recent months, drawing attention to the risks faced by riders who spend long hours navigating busy roads and the dangers created by interactions between motorcycles and articulated vehicles. LASTMA has urged members of the public to report road crashes, traffic emergencies and other traffic-related incidents through its toll-free emergency hotline for immediate response.
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