One-Way SUV Driver Kills Tricyclist in Lagos, Flees Scene

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, a commercial tricycle operator was fatally injured in a head-on collision with a Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC SUV driven against traffic on the Badagry Expressway at Origan, Oko-Afo, Lagos State. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), through General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed the incident in a statement by Director of Public Affairs Taofiq Adebayo. The SUV, bearing the custom plate “OSUNFNKE,” was traveling one-way from Ile-Epo towards Oko-Afo, violating traffic regulations, and collided with the tricycle, registered as MUS 716 QM. The tricyclist suffered severe injuries, including a dislocated knee, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV driver fled, abandoning the vehicle and the victim’s body.

LASTMA operatives secured the site, transferring the case to the Morogbo Division of the Nigeria Police Force, while the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) moved the deceased to Badagry General Hospital mortuary. Both vehicles were towed to police custody for investigation and potential prosecution. Bakare-Oki condemned the driver’s “shocking act of negligence” as a breach of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, emphasizing that the tragedy underscores the deadly consequences of traffic lawlessness. Despite LASTMA’s ongoing campaigns, he lamented persistent reckless driving, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to safer roads through enforcement and education. He extended condolences to the victim’s family, urging motorists to respect traffic laws to prevent such avoidable losses.

Posts on X, including from @Naija_PR and @NpoReports, reflect public outrage over the incident, with users decrying one-way driving and calling for stricter enforcement. The incident aligns with a pattern of traffic-related fatalities on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, with a 2024 Leadership report noting three deaths in a similar one-way crash. LASTMA’s swift response contrasts with the driver’s cowardice, but the tragedy highlights ongoing challenges in curbing traffic violations in Lagos, where over 1,200 road crashes were recorded in 2024 per FRSC data.