Religion

By Olusegun Folarin 

Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, has pledged twenty-four hours of emergency services across Ogun 18 major traffic corridors before, during and after the Eid El-Fitri celebration, in line with the operational guidelines of the Eid El-Fitri Special Patrol Schedule.

The agency also promised to ensure effective traffic management at Eid praying grounds across the state.

The Commander and Chief Executive of the Corps,  Mr Seni Ogunyemi, said in a statement that the week-long special operations would end next Monday.

Mr Ogunyemi explained that the special patrol operation order would involve monitoring of motorists and other road users, inclusive of high and low-capacity vehicles for the safety of lives and property to be guaranteed on Ogun 18 major traffic corridors.

He noted that the exercise would also involve all road users through the TRACE Traffic Whistle Blower Initiative, TRACE Emergency Traffic Service and the Community Based Traffic Management Scheme against the backdrop that safety on our roads is a shared responsibility.

The TRACE Commander directed Commanding officers to ensure that operatives of the corps are presentable, civil, professional, fair and firm, where and when the need arises, in the discharge of their duties, for the safety of the motoring public.

While felicitating the Muslim Umah, Mr Ogunyemi admonished them to reflect on the reason for the season and be safety conscious, as well as observe strict adherence to traffic rules and regulations because any vehicle contravened for any traffic infractions during the celebration would not be released until Monday, 15th April 2024, when TRACE would have ended her Eid El-Fitri Operation Order.

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Transportation

By Oluwatoyin Adegoke

Ogun State Government has warned transport unions operating along the Lagos -Ibadan Expressway to stop encroaching into recovered road setbacks and converting them to illegal parks, especially around the Isheri and Kara axis of the road. 

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Alhaji Farook Akintunde gave the warning when he led the Ogun State Special Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement to Isheri and Kara communities. 

Alhaji Akintunde who said the stakeholders had been adequately informed of the government’s plan to embark on a beautification project along the axis warned that any vehicle parked illegally on the roadsides would be impounded.

In reaction, the Chairman, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Isheri- Olofin Branch, Alhaji Audu Dagwa who apologized on behalf of the members assured the state government of their cooperation and agreement that members operating illegal parks should be sanctioned.

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Transportation

By Omolara Adasofunjo 

A fatal  accident between IVECO trucks with registration number AAB 414 ZY and a Cabster, ZUR 601 XY at Kara bridge inbound on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has claimed three lives

According to a release by the public relations officer, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the hoodlums, who had believed that the accident was caused by the truck, set it ablaze.

Mr Akinbiyi said the Iveco truck developed a mechanical fault on the road after colliding with another vehicle which drove against traffic, inbound Lagos on the Kara bridge.

He explained that while the driver and the motor boy were trying to sort out mechanical fault on the road, a Cabstar, loaded with watermelon which was at excessive speed, lost control and rammed into the Iveco truck from behind, killing all the 3 occupants in the Cabstar, including the driver.

According to him, some hoodlums from nowhere stormed the Kara bridge and set the Iveco truck ablaze because they believed the Iveco truck caused the accident.

He noted that it took the intervention of TRACE, POLICE and the Ogun State Fire Service before normalcy could be restored on the Kara bridge for incoming vehicles inbound Lagos at that hour.

The TRACE PRO said that all three commuters who lost their lives in the Cabstar had been taken away by their family members for burial and the accident vehicles were towed to Adigboluja Police Station Ojodu fir further investigation.

Transportation

By Olajumoke Idowu 

Three persons have been confirmed dead and two others were injured yesterday in an accident involving a car and a truck on the Abeokuta-Sagamu expressway in Ogun state.

The Spokesperson of Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta.


Mr Akinbiyi explained that the accident was caused by excessive speed and loss of control on the part of the car driver.

He also said three dead victims were men of God clothed in white apparel with robes coming from a deliverance service in the Oke-Aragbiji area of Osun state.

According to him, eyewitnesses said the driver lost control due to excessive speed, ran over the median, and hit and uprooted the street light before colliding head-on with the truck loaded with cement.

Mr Akinbiyi added that the injured victims were evacuated to Ijaye General Hospital in Abeokuta for treatment and the deceased were deposited at the hospital morgue.

The TRACE spokesperson commiserated with the deceased families, calling on motorists to eschew excessive speed and always take adequate rest before embarking on a journey. 

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Transportation

One woman has been reportedly died and two others injured in an accident between two motorcycles at mobil petrol station, Fajol, Obantoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the crash happened when the motorcycle conveying the woman, her husband who was the okada rider and their child were making their way towards Fajol, Obantoko, for the 1st church service of the year, attempted to avoid a head-on collision with another motorcyclist from an opposite direction.

Mr Akinbiyi explained that the woman, who was the rider’s wife, due to shock and not well balanced in her sitting position, fell and died instantly.

Accoding to him, the body of the dead woman had been taken away by the family for burial at Osiele axis while the other motorcyclist involved in the crash ran away.

The TRACE PRO, while commiserating with the families of the dead woman, advised motorcyclists to be cautious, patient and avoid excessive speed, particularly at narrow highways.

Omolara Adasofunjo

Transportation

There is a need for the media to collaborate with other relevant bodies to intensify road safety education and public enlightenment on attitudinal change to safety issues among road users. 

The Corps Commander, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, Mr Seni Ogunyemi made the call while receiving the new General Manager Of Radio Nigeria, Paramount FM Abeokuta, Mr Akinyinka Akintola who led members of the management team on a courtesy visit to his office.

Mr Ogunyemi who noted that the human factor was responsible for a large percentage of road crashes described the media as the tool for sensitising members of the public to understand and obey traffic rules. 

While commending Paramount FM for its efforts so far in bringing the organisation closer to the people, the TRACE Corps Commander called for greater collaborations in the bid to further reduce the loss of lives and property on the roads.

Earlier, the General Manager, Radio Nigeria Paramount FM 94.5 Abeokuta, Mr Akinyinka Akintola had restarted the station’s commitment to quality service delivery to meet the information, education and entertainment needs of the listener.

Mr Akintola gave the assurance that the station would consolidate on the existing cordial relationship with TRACE to further bridge the information gap between the corps and road users.

Titilayo Agbede

Transportation

The Ogun State Government has inaugurated a Joint Task Force comprising the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Police, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO and the Ministry of Transportation, to maintain sanity on major roads within the state, for end-of-the-year traffic management operations.

In a statement, the Public Education Officer, FRSC Ogun Sector Command, Commander Florence Okpe, says the joint operation is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, 22nd December 2021, along the Abeokuta/Sagam, Ijebu-Ode/Epe and Abeokuta/Otta Highways.

According to the statement, the joint task force is expected to provide effective traffic management strategies for all motorists and other road users, towards engendering hitch-free movement, reduction in road traffic crashes, ensuring roadworthiness of vehicles and checking the excesses of motorists and riders, during the festive season and beyond.

It advises members of the public to be law-abiding and desist from acts that can pose threat to them and other road users during the festive season, as life has no duplicate.

Adebola Ajayi

Transportation

One person has reportedly died while another man sustained injury in a road crash involving a motorcycle and a sienna car along the Kobape – Kuto Abeokuta road. 

Eyewitnesses told Radio Nigeria that the motorcyclist conveying two passengers was coming out of Toolu village, opposite Paramount FM, and negotiating his way to link the expressway en route Kuto. 

One of the witnesses, Mr. Oye Adekunle explained that car, coming from Kobape axis of the road on a high speed lost control and rammed into the motorcycle. 

Mr. Adekunle who attributed the accident to excessive speeding by the car driver and recklessness on the part of the motorcyclist, maintained that the rider had made a sudden turn without proper checks.

Radio Nigeria observed that both the driver of the sienna car and the motorcycle rider were unharmed, while the surviving bike passenger had been rushed to the hospital by officials of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, who also evacuated the remains of the pillion rider that reportedly died.

Francisca Irekpita

Environment News

Nine people have been presumed dead while two persons sustained injury in a tanker explosion around odo seje,  Owode in Yewa South local government area of Ogun state.
The Spokesman of Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi who confirmed the statement in Abeokuta said the accident involved a truck loaded with PMS, a bus conveying eggs and four motorcycles.
Mr Akinbiyi explained that the loaded tanker detached from it’s tractor while descending Odo Seje slope from Owode, the bus was coming from Ajilete with other motorcycles ram into truck leading to fire explosion.
He said the victims of the incident had been released to their families for burial while the case had been handed over to Owode Divisional Police Station for further investigation.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, Mr Akinbiyi advised motorists especially tanker drivers  to always carry out adequate maintenance of their vehicles and give consideration to other road users.
Olusegun Folarin

Transportation

Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, has deployed six hundred and fifty operatives, 35 patrol vehicles and 20 tow trucks across the traffic corridor to ensure safety on roads during the Eid el Fitr celebration.

The TRACE Corps Commander and Chief Executive, Mr Seni Ogunyemi, in a statement in Abeokuta said the one-week operation would commence today and end next Monday.

Mr Ogunyemi explained that the special operations would be in partnership with other security agencies to ensure strict compliance to the procedural guidelines of the special operation schedule.

He advised residents especially the motorists to exercise restraint on the road and assist government to ensure orderliness and sanity on the roads by upholding road traffic rules and regulations to guarantee the safety of lives and property.

Mr Ogunyemi who also urged TRACE Corps operatives to be civil, humane and exhibit a high level of professionalism in the discharge of their duties, said any vehicle involved in any traffic infraction during the celebration or breaks COVID-19 prevention protocols and guidelines would not be released until Monday, 17th May, 2021.

Olusegun Folarin

Crime

Three people have been presumed dead in a fatal crash that occurred along Abiola way, Olorunsogo, Abeokuta.

The accident which occurred on Friday night involved a motorcycle and unidentified vehicle.

The Spokesman of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta.

Mr Akinbiyi who noted that the hit and run driver fled the scene of the incident, said the victims were taken to the Mortuary of Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta.

Olusegun Folarin

Transportation

One person has been presumed dead in an accident that occurred at Obada oko along Abeokuta- Lagos expressway.

The accident involved a truck marked KSF 209 XY.

Witness who told journalists that two trucks were competing on the same lane, driving recklessly said one of the trucks lost control and rammed into a shop and a building.

The witness said the truck killed a woman, who just had her bath, and was trying to make-up when the incident happened.

They said the intervention of the Operatives of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Police personnel from Obada-Oko Divisional Police Station saved the driver and the truck from being set ablaze by the mob.

The TRACE spokesman, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi who confirmed the incident said the family of the deceased had retrieved the corpse.

Mr Akinbiyi renewed the call on the drivers to avoid reckless and dangerous driving in view of its attendant consequences.

Olusegun Folarin

Transportation

Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, says it has recorded a total of 774 road crashes across the state between January to November this year, resulting in 162 deaths, leaving 927 sustaining series of injures.

The Corps Commander, Mr Seni Ogunyemi stated this while defending the Corps’ 2021 budget estimate before the members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, OGHA, at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Commander Ogunyemi explained that the Corps was putting in place innovative measures towards changing its mode of operations from collection of traffic charges to enforcing correctional measures with a view to sensitising drivers against road crashes. 

He noted that the corps was committed to address institutional problems which often lead to incessant loss of lives caused by road accidents. 

Mr Ogunyemi therefore defended the budget proposal of the corps consisting of a sum of 128.9million naira for capital projects, with 825.5million naira set aside for recurrent expenses with projected revenue size of 420million naira for the next fiscal year. 

In their remarks, the OGHA Deputy Speaker, Mr Dare Kadiri and Mrs Modupe Mujota decried the incessant road crashes and violation of road regulations by overzealous drivers and tasked the corps to deploy more Information and Communication mechanisms to traffic management.

Oluwatoyin Adegoke

Transportation

Motorists along Abeokuta Ibadan road have commended officers of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE for embarking on the rehabilitation of some potholes along the road with granite recovered from an accident vehicle.

The uniformed officers from the state traffic management agency were seen with shovels and bags removing spilled granites to fill potholes along the Aderupoko, Osiele axis of the Abeokuta – Ibadan road. 

The Odeda Divisional Commander of TRACE, Mr. Olalekan Adewale, who led the officers, explained that the officers decided to use the wasted granite at the accident spot to fill the bad portions on the road to prevent other accident and to make the axis motorable.

Some of the motorists passing through the axis while speaking with newsmen, were full of gratitude to the officers and commended the road maintenance efforts of the TRACE officers.

The road users gave kudos to the TRACE Corps officers for going beyond their usual duties of maintaining free flow of traffic to rehabilitate part of the road to make the road passable.

Wale Oluokun

Crime

Four people have been presumed dead in fatal crash that occurred in Ijebu Ode-Oru road.

The accident involved a truck and a commercial bus.

Witness told journalists that the truck which was heading towards Ijebu-Ode from Ibadan axis lost control and collided with the bus that was coming in the opposite direction.

The witness claimed that driver and three passengers in the bus loaded with Kolanut died on the spot.

The spokesman of the State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi who confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta said timely intervention of Police and Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC officials prevented the angry mob from setting the truck ablaze.

Attributing the incident to reckless and dangerous driving on the part of the truck driver, Mr Akinbiyi said the body of the four victims had been deposited at the morgue of the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital while the injured truck driver was also receiving treatment at the same hospital.

Olusegun Folarin

Crime

Two people have been presumed dead in a fatal crash that occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Witnesses told journalists that a tanker loaded with diesel which was bound for Lagos fell and exploded due to over-speeding causing the content to spill to nearby buildings and burn vehicles parked in that axis.

The spokesman of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi who confirmed the incident said thirty-two vehicles were involved in the accident.

Mr Akinbiyi said remains of the driver and the motor boy had been taken to the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

He said though normalcy had been restored to the axis, vehicular movement was still at what he described as snail pace.

Olusegun Folarin

Crime

Four persons died while five others sustained injury in a fatal crash that occurred along Sagamu- Ogijo road in Ogun State. 

Spokesman of State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta.

Mr. Akinbiyi said the crash, involving a truck, an unmarked motorcycle and a bus with registration number FKJ 133 XX occurred when a motor boy driving the truck lost control of the vehicle. 

He explained that the truck driver had parked at a spot awaiting signals to enter a private company in the area for loading and the motor boy took up the task of driving into the company but had lost control and rammed into both the bus and motorcycle, killing the pillion passenger as well as the bus driver and two other persons in the bus. 

The TRACE Spokesman said both the injured and those killed had been taken to the Ogun State University Teaching Hospital, OSUTH., Sagamu.

Mr. Akinbiyi who condoled the family of the deceased, implored truck owners to ensure proper maintenance of their vehicle and avoid the use of minors as drivers to prevent avoidable crashes.

Olusegun Folarin

Transportation

An aged woman and her grandchild have been confirmed dead in a lone road crash that occurred at Falawo, Epe junction, in Sagamu local government area of Ogun state.

Those who witnessed the crash recounted that a speeding car had lost control and somersaulted before hitting the woman and her granddaughter in front of their house.

The aged woman and her granddaughter reportedly died on the spot while the four occupants in the vehicle, including the driver were said to be rushed to the hospital. 

Reacting to the incident, the Public Relations Officer of Ogun state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi said the car was marked LSD 797 GJ. 

Olusegun Folarin

Transportation

A chartered commercial bus from Lagos carrying crates of eggs has rammed into a stationary trailer along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway killing one person and injuring two others.

A statement from the Ogun State Traffic Control and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, notes that the trailer axle problem was being fixed by the driver and the motor-boy at the middle of the road when the bus rammed into it around Isara Remo Bridge.

The statement explains that one of the passengers in the bus died on the spot while the bus driver and his second passenger were rushed to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH, Sagamu by the officials of Federal Road Safety Corp.

Meanwhile the two vehicles involved in the accident had been moved to the Police Motor Traffic Division in Ode-Remo.

Wale Oluokun

Transportation

A mob of truck drivers in Abeokuta have protested the alleged killing of their colleague during operation of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE. 

The angry drivers, armed with sticks and other dangerous weapons reportedly stormed the Ibara Divisional Office of the Corps as well as that of the State Parking Management Agency also located on the premises where they destroyed windscreens of vehicles.

The mob of truck drivers was also alleged to have carted away unknown amount of money from the agency.

They claimed that dead colleague had fallen off a truck and was crushed by another truck trying to evade arrest by the TRACE officials.

Speaking with newsmen, a truck driver, Mr Soji Sehinde also accused the TRACE officials of habitual extortion, claiming that all truck owners in the state were earlier asked to pay a mandatory fee of one hundred thousand naira.

In a reaction, spokesperson of TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi explained that the violent protest by the truck drivers was due to the death of a motor boy who according to him was crushed by a fellow truck driver.

Spokesman of the Traffic Management Agency maintained that the truck was accosted for violating the night curfew before the unfortunate incident occurred.

Similarly, the Chief Operating Officer of Ogun State Parking Management Agency, Alhaji Wale Yusuf while speaking on the incident raised the allegations of vandalism and stealing of money against the protesters.

It took the intervention of policemen from the Ibara Police formation to restore normalcy to the area.

Wale Oluokun

Crime

A woman and two children have been reportedly killed while six others sustained injuries in a lone crash that occurred along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.  

The commercial bus, marked FUF 109 ZD  was said to be coming from Kwara state inbound for Lagos when it suddenly tumbled around the Mowe-Ibafo corridor of the expressway at about 2.05 pm on Tuesday 4th August 2020 claiming the lives of the woman, a toddler and another 6 year old girl. 

Corps Commander of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Seni Ogunyemi who made this known to Radio Nigeria in Abeokuta attributed the crash to tyre burst and speeding. 

Mr Ogunyemi who said the rescue team arrived the scene about ten minutes later pointed out that the female toddler died on the spot while the 6-year-old girl and another adult female died later at a private hospital in Sagamu where they were taken to from the scene of the crash. 

The Corps Commander of TRACE also explained that 2 other persons were injured in another serious crash which occurred about an hour later along the same road corridor. 

He blamed the second accident on a motorcyclist who reportedly rode against the traffic and caused the crash involving a car with registration number LSR 324 FK and another bus marked SMK 971 XS adding that the injured victims were rushed to the hospital by residents of the community. 

While commiserating with the families of the deceased travelers, Mr Ogunyemi also counseled motorists to pay attention to the state of their vehicles and ensure adequate gauge of their tyres’ pressure before embarking on any journey. 

He also cautioned road users against speeding, especially when passing through diversions or construction zones.

Oluremi Olugbenro

Transportation

Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, has promised to ensure effective traffic management, prompt rescue service on Ogun State traffic corridor during and after the Eid-el-kabir celebration.

The TRACE Corps Commander, Mr Olaseni Ogunyemi who announced this in a statement in Abeokuta said the corps would also ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols and guidelines, in a bid to flatten the curve of the pandemic.

Mr Ogunyemi noted that the corps had deployed operatives to strategic locations of the state especially construction zones to promote the safety of all road users and also check the excesses of recalcitrant motorists.

The TRACE Corps Commander said the corps would collaborate with other agencies to enforce the Covid-19 guidelines in view of high volume of human and vehicular movement being envisaged, with its attendant traffic build-up, breakdown of ill-maintained vehicles, obstruction and road crashes.

He advised motorists to ensure strict compliance with traffic rules and regulations and observe as well as uphold Covid-19 protocols for the safety of all.

Olusegun Folarin

Crime

... but he is rescued by TRACE Officer

The Ogun State Police Command says a 35-year-old man, Fatai Oyedele who attempted suicide by jumping into Ogun River has been released to his family for proper medical attention. 

The command’s spokesperson, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, who made this known to Radio Nigeria, said the man exhibited violent behaviour suspected to be connected with mental health. 

The Public Relations Officer of the State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi had earlier disclosed that the man was handed over to the police after his rescue by an officer of the corps. 

Mr Akinbiyi explained that Oyedele, a father of five children from Atan in Ado Odo Ota Local Government area of the state attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the Ogun River around Akin Olugbade area of Abeokuta during the midnight. 

The Public Relations Officer of the state’s traffic agency added that the man, who was said to be a cloth seller was also holding a poisonous substance, suspected to be sniper at the time he was rescued.

Oluremi Olugbenro

Transportation

A truck has been intercepted in Ogun State with 30 youths concealed among the baskets of pepper and other contents in the vehicle. 

The truck with registration Kano XG172 KNG covered with tarpaulin was intercepted at Joju area of Sango in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. 

The youths, suspected to be almajiris were discovered by officials of the state’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, when they stopped the truck for a search. 

Corps Commander of the traffic management agency, Mr Olaseeni Ogunyemi said the truck was denied entry into the state by officers of the corps led by the Area Commander, Mr Ajibade Adekunle. 

The Corps Commander explained that the truck driver was led back to the Toll Gate borderline in the area through which he claimed to have accessed the state.

Oluremi Olugbenro 

Transportation

A woman has been burnt to death in a traffic accident involving three vehicles along Lagos-Ibadan express.

Witness report quoted by the Ogun State Traffic Enforcement and Compliance Agency says the lady was a passer-by around the axis when the inferno from the accident burnt her.

The report says the premium motors spirit, PMS, laden truck lost control on motion and hit barrier which prompted the content to spill on the road.

The PMS laden truck after the inferno escaped from the scene.

The TRACE officials along the Mowe/Ibafo axis said they have removed all the accident vehicles from the scene of the incident.

Wale Oluokun