A commercial bus carrying 21 passengers was involved in a fatal accident on the Oko-Olowo Expressway, Iye-Maja Junction, in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Sunday, October 5, 2026. The bus reportedly suffered a tyre blowout, causing the driver to lose control, and the vehicle somersaulted and caught fire. The incident occurred at about 6:35pm, and firefighters and other responders evacuated passengers from the burning vehicle.
The spokesman for the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, confirmed the incident on Monday, saying that those who sustained injuries were taken to hospital for medical attention, while one passenger was confirmed dead. Adekunle said the passengers were evacuated from the vehicle, and sadly, one person was confirmed deceased in the incident.
This latest incident has renewed concerns about safety on the Oko-Olowo axis, which has witnessed a number of serious crashes and persistent traffic challenges. In July, 15 people were killed and 17 others injured in a separate crash along the Ogbomoso-Oko-Olowo route on the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway. The Federal Road Safety Corps attributed the crash to driver fatigue.
The recurrence of serious accidents around the corridor has increased calls for permanent engineering solutions rather than reliance on temporary safety measures. Transport unions have called for a lasting solution to the problem, commending the Federal Government, the Works Ministry, and the state government over preparations for an overhead bridge at the Oko-Olowo Expressway.
The proposed overhead bridge could improve traffic flow and reduce the risk to motorists, commuters, and pedestrians using the busy corridor daily. The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Kwara have described the junction as accident-prone and said the intervention followed persistent concerns over recurring accidents and traffic conflicts in the area.
Beyond crashes, the wider Oko-Olowo corridor has recently faced serious infrastructure and flooding problems. A report published this month on the Ilorin-Igbeti Federal Highway said the collapse of the Moro Bridge had left commuters dealing with flooded sections and difficult alternative crossings. The bridge, which links parts of Kwara and Oyo states, has become a major concern for commercial drivers, traders, and residents who depend on the route for their daily activities.
The latest fatality is likely to renew calls for stronger enforcement of road safety regulations, improved emergency response, and accelerated completion of planned infrastructure around the Oko-Olowo corridor. Road safety experts have consistently advised motorists to conduct proper checks on tyres, brakes, and other critical vehicle components before embarking on long-distance journeys.
Key points
- One person was killed and several others injured in a bus accident on the Oko-Olowo Expressway in Kwara State, Nigeria.
- The accident was attributed to a tyre blowout, which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
- The incident has renewed calls for improved road safety measures and infrastructure development on the Oko-Olowo axis.
