Just days after the tragic death of WASSCE candidate Kehinde Alade, who was struck by a stray bullet in Ibadan, another devastating incident occurred on Friday in the Ikangba area of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
A female student of Seico Secondary School, reportedly sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination, was killed when a truck lost control and rammed into a group of students. Another student sustained critical injuries.
The accident happened on the recently rehabilitated Ikangba/Agoro Road as the students were heading home after completing their exam for the day.
According to a resident, Mr. Eko Nicholas, the truck, approaching from the Molipa end of the road, veered off its lane, hit the students, and crashed into the fence of a nearby Redeemed Christian Church of God parish.
“The students were visibly WASSCE candidates—they had their question papers in hand,” Nicholas said. “The girl died instantly, while another remains in critical condition. We’re praying for her recovery.”
Nicholas, who is also the Ogun State Chairman of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), expressed concern over the increasing number of accidents on the road since its rehabilitation. He attributed the accidents to the lack of speed breakers and other safety measures.
“This is yet another preventable tragedy,” he said. “Since February, six lives have been lost here, with many others injured. We urge the state government to urgently install speed bumps and streetlights, especially as schoolchildren regularly use this road.”
He noted that the CDWR had written to the government about the issue but had yet to receive a response.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, stated that TRACE officers had reported the fatal crash.
“Yes, the incident is confirmed. One school pupil died in the accident,” Akinbiyi said in a phone interview.
