The Ogun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has disclosed that road traffic crashes claimed the lives of 161 people across the state between January and May 2026, despite an overall decline in accidents compared to the same period last year.
The command’s Public Education Officer, Afolabi Odunsi, made the disclosure on Tuesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ota, saying a total of 415 crashes were recorded during the five-month period.
According to him, the crashes also left 1,007 people with varying degrees of injuries.
Odunsi explained that the latest figures reflected an improvement in road safety when compared with the corresponding period in 2025, when the state recorded 494 crashes.
He said the reduction in crashes also translated into fewer casualties, noting that deaths dropped from 212 recorded between January and May 2025 to 161 within the same period this year.
Similarly, the number of persons injured declined from 1,121 in 2025 to 1,007 in 2026.
The FRSC spokesperson attributed the improvement largely to the command’s sustained public education campaigns aimed at promoting safer driving habits and increasing compliance with traffic regulations.
“The reduction recorded could not have been achieved without the intensive public enlightenment campaigns carried out by FRSC personnel to educate road users on safety measures,” he said.
Despite the decline, Odunsi expressed concern over the persistent disregard for traffic regulations by some motorists, identifying excessive speed, driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous overtaking, the use of mobile phones while driving, overloading, and tyre bursts as major contributors to road crashes in the state.
He urged motorists to exercise greater caution and comply with road traffic laws to reduce avoidable crashes and fatalities.
“We appeal to all motorists to obey traffic rules and regulations to prevent needless loss of lives on our roads,” he said.
Odunsi added that the command would continue to intensify enforcement operations alongside public sensitisation campaigns to further improve road safety and protect lives and property across Ogun State.
