A heartbreaking scene unfolded in Ogun State on Wednesday as four young pupils of Iddo Primary School lost their lives in a fatal road crash while heading home from school.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) confirmed the incident in a statement made available to journalists late Wednesday night by its spokesperson, Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi.
According to Akinbiyi, the devastating accident occurred around 2:53 p.m. at Sowo Village along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.
He revealed that the crash involved a Toyota Corolla with registration number KSF 579 DM, which was being driven by an adult male. The victims — all male pupils — were reportedly returning from school when the vehicle veered off the road and struck them on the pedestrian walkway.
“According to eyewitnesses, four male children of Iddo Primary School, Iddo Kobape, were walking home from school, and a Toyota Corolla car was speeding, lost its control, and rammed into four pupils on the pedestrian walkway.
“The impact of the collision reportedly led to the death of the four pupils at the spot of the accident,” he said.
He further disclosed that emergency responders from TRACE’s Rescue Squad and Crown Squad evacuated the remains of the children to the State General Hospital in Ijaiye, where they were officially certified dead. The bodies were subsequently released to their grieving families for burial.
The tragic event sparked outrage in the community, prompting angry residents to block the expressway in protest. The demonstration led to a temporary standstill in vehicular movement along the busy route.
Akinbiyi added that law enforcement agencies, including TRACE operatives, the Nigerian Police, and the Nigerian Army, were mobilized to the scene to calm the tension. Their swift intervention eventually brought the situation under control and ensured the road was reopened to traffic.
