The Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a formal call for enhanced enforcement of extant laws prohibiting the operation of unregistered and unroadworthy trucks within Lagos State, following the tragic deaths of two students of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) in a fatal road accident.
The position of the students’ body was contained in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, Chairman of the NANS Joint Campus Committee (JCC), and Comrade Ridwan Ajayi, Public Relations Officer, on Monday, November 10, 2025.
According to the association, the fatal incident occurred on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Powerline Junction, inward Ikorodu Roundabout, Lagos, resulting in the untimely deaths of Mr. Oluwaseyitan Afolabi Emmanuel, a 200-level Direct Entry student of Banking and Finance, College of Applied Social Sciences, and Mr. Ayomide Jagun, a 300-level student of Mechatronics Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology.
In its statement, NANS expressed profound grief over what it described as an “avoidable tragedy” and extended solidarity to the management, staff, and students of LASUSTECH, as well as the bereaved families. The association further condemned what it termed the nation’s recurring pattern of administrative negligence and infrastructural failure, attributing the incident to systemic lapses in enforcement and regulatory oversight.
Citing preliminary investigations by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the association noted that the accident was caused by an unregistered truck laden with sand, which reportedly suffered brake failure, leading to a multiple-vehicle collision that claimed lives and caused several injuries.
In its remarks, NANS stated:
“As the umbrella body representing the collective interest of students across tertiary institutions in Lagos State, NANS JCC expresses deep sorrow over this preventable loss. We mourn not merely as students but as citizens aggrieved by the system’s failure to uphold public safety. No Nigerian student’s aspiration should end on the road to education. Each avoidable death is an indictment on governance, infrastructure, and regulatory enforcement.”
The association therefore urged the Lagos State Government, particularly the Ministry of Transportation, to intensify enforcement against all unregistered, unroadworthy, and overloaded trucks operating within the metropolis. It further called upon the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to conduct an immediate safety audit of all accident-prone corridors within Ikorodu and surrounding areas.
NANS also enjoined the LASUSTECH management to strengthen its student welfare and safety framework through proactive collaboration with LASTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and other law enforcement agencies.
In extending its condolences, the statement read:
“We commiserate deeply with the families of Oluwaseyitan Afolabi Emmanuel and Ayomide Jagun, the management and students of LASUSTECH, and all who grieve this profound loss. Their dreams were luminous, their futures promising, and their memories will remain indelible in the conscience of the Nigerian student community.”
Similarly, the LASUSTECH management, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Lanre Kuye, described the incident as a painful and irreparable loss to the university community.
The association concluded by reiterating its demand for criminal liability and administrative sanctions against owners and operators of unregistered heavy-duty vehicles, as well as any public officials who fail to enforce the relevant traffic and safety regulations.
This latest tragedy adds to a series of recent road mishaps involving heavy-duty trucks across Lagos State. Notably, in the preceding week, a tricycle operator was killed in a multiple-vehicle crash at Ekoro Junction, along Abule-Egba/Command Road, while another collision involving eight vehicles on the Otedola Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway left at least eight persons hospitalized.#newsafro_
