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Five persons have been confirmed dead following a multiple-truck collision that triggered a fire outbreak along the Obajana-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
The accident occurred at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026, when three trucks collided on the highway, according to the Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lawal Fagge. Blueprint reports
Fagge, who confirmed the incident on Monday, said five persons died, one was injured and another escaped unhurt.
Eyewitnesses said the trucks were travelling at high speed when the drivers reportedly lost control and rammed into one another. The impact triggered a fire that engulfed the vehicles, destroying the trucks, their goods and other items.
The injured victim was rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, for medical attention, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited in the hospital’s morgue.
FRSC blames speeding for collision
Fagge attributed the crash to excessive speed, which caused the drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
The incident has renewed concerns about the dangers posed by speeding heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian highways, particularly during the early hours of the morning.
The FRSC has repeatedly warned motorists against excessive speed, dangerous overtaking and other traffic violations, urging drivers to observe speed limits, maintain safe distances and ensure their vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on journeys.
Although further investigations may be required to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision, the initial account identified speeding and loss of control as the immediate causes.
Kogi highways record repeated fatal crashes
The latest incident adds to a series of deadly road crashes recorded on major highways in Kogi State, particularly routes connecting Lokoja with other parts of the country.
In May 2025, a collision involving an articulated truck and a Toyota Hummer bus along the Lokoja-Obajana road claimed 19 lives and left eight others injured.
The crash occurred around Gadabiu community in Lokoja Local Government Area. According to the FRSC, the bus, which was travelling towards Abuja from southern Nigeria, attempted to overtake a truck at high speed before colliding head-on with an oncoming articulated vehicle. Five children were among those killed.
In July 2026, another crash along the Okene-Lokoja highway near Osara claimed seven lives after a Toyota Sienna conveying passengers from Auchi towards Abuja rammed into a parked heavy-duty truck. Three other occupants sustained injuries.
The repeated incidents have raised concerns about driver behaviour, the positioning of broken-down vehicles and the safety of heavy-duty transport operations on the state’s highways.
Fatal crashes recorded across Nigeria
The Kogi tragedy comes amid a series of fatal road accidents recorded across Nigeria in recent weeks.
On October 2, 2026, 20 people died in a multiple-vehicle crash along the Hawan Kibo-Jos route in Plateau State.
The accident involved a truck, a Hummer bus, other vehicles and a motorcycle. Reports indicated that the truck suffered brake failure and rammed into vehicles travelling towards Jos. The resulting collision caused the Hummer bus to catch fire, killing 18 passengers trapped inside, while two people on a motorcycle also died.
Three days later, on October 5, nine people died in a collision involving a commercial bus and a truck along the Ijebu-Ode-Ore Expressway in Ogun State.
The Federal Road Safety Corps identified speed violation as the probable cause of the accident. The victims were travelling in a Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line when it collided with a Sino truck.
Earlier, on August 24, seven people were killed and two others injured when three vehicles collided around Kara on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The vehicles involved included a heavy-duty truck, a trailer and a Mitsubishi Canter.
The incidents illustrate the devastating consequences of collisions involving heavy-duty vehicles, particularly when excessive speed, mechanical failure or unsafe driving practices are involved.
Road safety figures highlight national challenge
The scale of Nigeria’s road safety challenge is reflected in figures released by the FRSC. According to data reported by the News Agency of Nigeria in February 2026, the corps recorded 10,446 road traffic crashes and 5,289 deaths nationwide in 2025.
Although fatalities declined compared with the previous year, the FRSC said the reduction fell short of its target of a 10 per cent decrease in road deaths.
The figures underscore the need for sustained enforcement of traffic regulations, improved vehicle maintenance and greater compliance with safety standards by commercial transport operators.
Call for caution on highways
The latest Kogi crash serves as another reminder of the dangers confronting motorists on Nigerian highways.
Motorists are advised to avoid excessive speed, maintain safe following distances, refrain from dangerous overtaking and ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition. Operators of heavy-duty vehicles also have a responsibility to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and that their vehicles undergo regular maintenance.
The positioning of broken-down vehicles on highways remains another safety concern, particularly at night and in the early hours of the morning when visibility may be limited.
As families mourn the five victims of the Obajana-Lokoja crash, the incident has renewed calls for stricter compliance with traffic regulations and more effective measures to prevent avoidable deaths on Nigerian roads.
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