By: Odeh Favour Adiya
Motorists experienced slow-moving traffic on the Gbagada Expressway in Lagos on Thursday after two separate accidents, one involving two major trucks and another involving two trailers and five other vehicles, disrupted the free flow of traffic on the busy corridor.
Our correspondent, who was at the scene, observed heavy build-up of vehicles as officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, alongside tow trucks and a forklift, worked to clear the wreckage from the road.
By the time of filing this report, one of the trucks involved in the major accident had been successfully removed from the road, while efforts were ongoing to clear the second.
A second accident scene, located further along the expressway near Charlie Boy, had also drawn LASTMA’s response.
The five vehicles caught up in that crash had been evacuated, and a tow truck was seen working to remove the two trailers still blocking the road.
Speaking with our correspondent at the scene, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the agency had been on ground since 5am battling to restore normalcy to the expressway.
“As you can see, the major one here, all efforts is on ground to remove it. The first one has been removed about 45 minutes ago,” he said.
He said a forklift and two tow trucks were already deployed, with a crane being arranged to complete the operation.
“We have every equipment, a forklift, another two major tow trucks here. But we are trying to arrange another crane now. The arrangement is solid. We will put all hands on deck and ensure the vehicle is removed,” Bakare-Oki said.
On the secondary accident near Charlie Boy, he said: “There is another accident at the back by Charlie Boy involving two trailers and five vehicles. All five vehicles have been evacuated. A tow truck is at that spot too, about to remove the two tow trucks and the two trailers that are involved in the secondary accident.”
