No fewer than 87 people have died in 1,006 accidents across different parts of Lagos State between January and September 2025.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) reports that 666 persons were injured in these collisions to varied degrees.
Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the LASTMA General Manager, made the announcement on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement conference at the agency’s headquarters in Oshodi, Lagos State.
The “Safe Roads, Safe Lives… LASTMA Cares” interaction brought together participants from traffic management agencies, security agencies, transportation unions, motorists, and students from across the state.
Bakare-Oki emphasized in his welcome message that increased vehicular movements during the festive season, as well as noncompliance with traffic laws, frequently result in fatalities.
He said, “From January to September 2025, LASTMA and partner agencies recorded over 3,200 traffic incidents, with nearly 60 percent occurring along major corridors such as Ikorodu Road, Apapa–Oshodi Expressway, Third Mainland Bridge, and Lekki–Epe Expressway.
“For context, between January and December 2024, 2,051 accidents, 5,108 vehicle breakdowns, 190 fatalities, and 1,075 injuries were recorded. Between January and September 2025, 1,006 accidents, 2,442 breakdowns, 87 fatalities, and 666 injuries were recorded.
“These figures are far more than mere statistics—they reflect lives lost and families forever changed. That’s why our call to action on road safety, a vital part of our everyday lives, is both a strategic necessity and a moral obligation.”
He stated that while the state government had continued to support the agency, LASTMA had also prepared its personnel and resources towards combating traffic incidents across the state during the festive periods.
“We have deployed over 2,500 officers to high-risk corridors, refurbished operational vehicles and tow trucks, and strengthened communication systems for real-time coordination.
“Additionally, the agency has intensified its road safety public enlightenment campaigns through radio broadcasts, digital media, and community platforms,” Bakare-Oki concluded.
In his keynote address, Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, said that LASTMA would begin 24-hour traffic monitoring on Thursday, October 23, and will continue until January 2026.
Giwa stated that the decision to establish the Night Rapid Response Guard was based on the fact that seasonal events would soon begin, which would result in increased motor flow on Lagos roadways.
He emphasized that the initiative was a proactive way to securely manage the expected flow of automobiles ahead of the celebrations.
He said, “What we are doing today is to gather all stakeholders and let them be aware that we are approaching the festive period and that the Night Rapid Response Gang has been inaugurated to provide 24/7 support on major corridors.
“Their task is to respond swiftly to breakdowns, crashes, and obstructions, ensuring minimal disruption to traffic flow.
“We have made provisions that from Thursday, LASTMA will begin 24-hour traffic management on all our roads, especially those places that we know there will be an influx of people because of end-of-the-year activities.
Giwa stated that the government would continue to be proactive in transportation management in accordance with Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ strategy.
“Passenger inflow through our airports and interstate corridors rises by nearly 30 percent during this period. The road network absorbs unprecedented pressure, from long-distance travellers to local movements around shopping districts, events, and residential areas.
“This season tests the very fabric of our traffic system, and that is why LASTMA rises to the occasion every year with renewed vigor and precision,” Giwa concluded.
In their respective goodwill greetings, the Lagos State Sector Command, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Army, and Nigeria Police emphasized their commitment to working with LASTMA to ensure road safety in Lagos.
They praised the agency’s proactive approach and commitment to road safety.
The forum’s highlights included play performances by schoolchildren participating in the LASTA Safe School Advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the importance of road safety compliance, as well as recognition of deserving agency workers.
Road accidents pose significant public health and security risks across the country.
According to FRSC data obtained by PUNCH Metro on Monday, 3,433 people died and 22,162 were injured in 6,858 documented road collisions between January and September 2025.
In the same vein, the FRSC data showed that within the first quarter of 2025 alone, 73 persons lost their lives and 393 were injured in crashes along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, highlighting the scale of the issue even on major corridors.
