Five Teachers Dead, Many Injured in Head-On Crash on Ijebu-Ode/Epe Road
A devastating road accident on the Ijebu-Ode/Epe Road has claimed the lives of five secondary school teachers and left several others injured. The teachers, part of a group of 167 individuals, were traveling in a convoy of ten 18-seater buses when one of the buses collided head-on with a trailer allegedly driving against traffic.
The teachers were returning from the Alausa Secretariat, where they had attended a state-organized staff audit intended to identify ghost workers. The teachers, primarily from Epe, had hired buses to attend the event at Adeyemi Bero Hall.
The accident occurred on the evening of Tuesday, as the convoy made its way home after the audit, which ended at 7 p.m. Five teachers died instantly at the scene, while others were rushed to the Epe General Hospital. Hospital staff were overwhelmed by the influx of injured teachers and their families, who sought urgent medical attention.
The teachers were part of a larger group of 167 educators from secondary schools across Lagos State who participated in the audit. Due to ongoing road construction on their usual route through the Lekki-Ajah axis, the convoy was redirected to the Ijebu-Ode route.
Some survivors and their families expressed frustration with the event’s logistics, criticizing the state government for not decentralizing the audit. Unlike previous years when the audits were conducted at local education districts, this time, all teachers were required to attend the central Alausa venue. This centralization led to overcrowding and disorganization at the venue, contributing to the frustration of many participants.
At the time of the report, police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin had not responded to inquiries regarding the tragic accident. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, as authorities work to determine the full extent of the collision and its causes.
