Tragedy struck on Friday in the Ikangba area of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, when a truck reportedly lost control and ran into students of Seico Secondary School, killing a female student and critically injuring another.

The incident occurred along the recently rehabilitated Ikangba–Agoro Road as the students were returning home after completing their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) papers for the day.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck, which was approaching from the Molipa axis, suddenly veered off its lane, hitting the students before crashing into the fence of a nearby parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

A resident, Mr. Eko Nicholas, who spoke with journalists, said, “Nobody knows exactly why the truck veered off the road, but it ran into students coming from the opposite direction. One of them, a female, died on the spot, while another girl sustained critical injuries. We are all praying for her survival.”

Nicholas, who also serves as the Ogun State Chairman of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), expressed concern over the rising number of accidents on the road since its rehabilitation.

“This is yet another needless death on the Ikangba–Agoro Road,” he lamented. “Since February, we have lost six lives here, aside from numerous injuries. The absence of speed bumps or road safety signs encourages reckless driving.”

He urged the Ogun State Government to urgently install speed breakers and streetlights along the road, noting that several schools are located in the area and many students walk daily to and from school.

Nicholas added that the CDWR had previously written to the state government over the situation but had yet to receive a response.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, said officers in the area had reported the fatal crash.

“Yes, the incident has been confirmed. One school pupil died in the crash,” Akinbiyi told our correspondent in a telephone interview.