Tragedy struck in Ogun State on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, when four schoolchildren lost their lives in a fatal accident along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway.
The victims, pupils of Iddo Primary School in Kobape, were reportedly returning home from school when the unfortunate incident occurred around 3 p.m.
According to reports from eyewitnesses, a speeding Toyota Corolla with registration number KSF 579 DM lost control and veered off the road, hitting the pupils as they walked along the roadside. The collision resulted in the immediate death of all four children at the scene.
Spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident in a statement. He explained that the vehicle, believed to be moving at an excessive speed, struck the schoolchildren who were walking on the pedestrian walkway near their school in the Iddo, Kobape area of the state.
“Eyewitness accounts revealed that the driver lost control due to speed and rammed into the group of pupils, leading to the instant death of four male children,” Akinbiyi stated.
Following the tragic accident, emergency responders transported the victims to the General Hospital in Ijaiye for official certification of death. The remains of the children were subsequently released to their grieving families for burial.
In the aftermath of the crash, the Sowo village community was thrown into mourning. Enraged by the incident, residents, particularly youths, staged a protest by barricading the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway.
The demonstration caused significant traffic gridlock and threatened to escalate into violence, as some of the protesters attempted to lynch the driver involved in the crash.
However, the situation was quickly brought under control by the timely intervention of a joint team of security operatives, including officers of TRACE, the Nigerian Police Force, and personnel of the Nigerian Army.
Akinbiyi noted that the coordinated response of the security agencies helped to restore order and ease the traffic congestion caused by the protest. He appealed to motorists to adhere strictly to traffic regulations, especially around school zones, to prevent further loss of innocent lives.