At least three people, including a police inspector, have been confirmed dead following a multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, confirmed the incident while addressing journalists at the scene on Thursday morning.

“We have a case of a multiple accident at the border between Ogun and Lagos State,” Ishola said. “Five vehicles were involved — all articulated trucks. Three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident. As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us — LASTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies.”

According to preliminary investigations, the crash was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure, leading to a chain collision involving the other vehicles.

“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” the commissioner said.

He further cautioned drivers of heavy-duty vehicles against reckless driving, describing it as one of the major causes of fatal accidents on Nigerian highways.

“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habits, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.

Rescue operations involving the police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and other emergency agencies were ongoing as of press time.

The commissioner also confirmed that one of the deceased was a police inspector attached to the command’s advance response team.

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” Ishola said.