William Manga, the unit commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Badagry Command, confirmed the incident on Monday, Nov. 4.

The accident occurred at about 3:20 pm, near Agbo-Malu Bus Stop, Age-Mowo axis of the expressway.

“Our personnel were alerted about the accident immediately, and we got to the scene at 3.23 p.m., three minutes after they were alerted.

“The Mazda commercial bus, with registration number ABJ 95 YJ and a Toyota car, with registration number KTU 339 YJ, coming from Badagry, were involved in a head-on collision.

“18 persons were involved in the accident but four of them sustained varying degrees of injury.

“The four injured persons have been taken to General Hospital, Badagry, for treatment,” he said.

The commander stated that the accident was due to dangerous driving by the two drivers. He said that the two vehicles involved in the accident had been removed and taken to the FRSC office in Badagry.

Manga appealed to passengers to always caution drivers against speeding, while he also urged motorists plying the road to be conscious of their speed on the one-lane expressway.

The fire which cause is yet to be known began at 4.35 a.m. started from one of the container shops opposite the expressway.

The 13 shops are all situated in a single line directly opposite the expressway.

A shop owner, Mrs Funmi Olabode, said she was contacted on the telephone by a neighbour who informed her of the incident.

She said that she evacuated all her wares before the fire razed her shop, but expressed regrets that she could not rescue the goods of some of her neighbours.

Another shop owner, Mr David Buka, who was also able to rescue his wares, expressed shock at the incident.

“I don’t even know what to say; I live nearby, and I woke up early because today is supposed to be our market day, only for me to meet this situation,” he said.

Mr Kazeem Sowemimo, who aided in rescuing the goods of some shop owners, said that he works at a Keke Park located in the market and had come out for his day’s work, only to discover the inferno.

He said: “As I came out, I saw the fire and saw as everybody was running up and down, so I just began to help out.”

Some shop owners who arrived the market later were seen opening their shops and hurriedly carting away their goods before the fire extends to their shops.

There were, however, cries and lamentations by some others, whose shops and goods were razed by the fire.

The team from the Fire Service in Agbara arrived the Market at 5.57am and began fire fighting

They, however, declined to make comment on the incident.

NAN reports that among the shops razed down by the fire, include, recharge card shops, Boutiques, Provision shops, Electronics shops among others.

Efforts to reach any personnel on the incidence proved abortive.

(NAN)