THREE prominent Nigerians died in accidents caused by hit-and-run drivers within a spate of 11 days in October 2025.
The ICIR reports that such tragedies could be more within the period, as road accidents are commonplace on the nation’s roads.
Renowned labour activist, Abiodun Aremu, a director in the service of Lagos State Government, Serifat Talabi, who was killed four days to her retirement, and a lecturer at the Federal University Lokoja, Emmanuel-Olowonubi Oluwakemi, were the major citizens whose death, through hit-and-run drivers, went viral on social media and caused outrage during the period covered by this report.
Reckless driving, poor road safety enforcement, unroadworthy vehicles, and dilapidated roads have largely been blamed for most road accidents in the country.
Abiodun Aremu
On Sunday, October 12, Aremu, a prominent labour activist and Secretary of the Joint Action Front (JAF) was struck by a speeding vehicle while crossing the road to his home in Ota, Ogun State around 6 p.m.
Eyewitnesses said the 65-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors battled to save him before he was confirmed dead.
The death of Aremu, who was described by his fellow activists as “one of Nigeria’s greatest revolutionaries,” sent shockwaves through the nation’s labour movement.
Until his death, Aremu was deeply involved in pro-labour activism, youth education, and Pan-African solidarity movements. His colleagues vowed to continue his work for social justice, even as they called for stricter road safety enforcement to prevent similar tragedies.
Serifat Talabi
The Lagos State Civil Service was also thrown into mourning following Talabi’s death on October 18. Until her passing, she was the Director of Procurement at the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA).
Talabi was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway near the Redeemed Christian Church of God Camp in Ibafo, Ogun State, just four days before her retirement and 60th birthday.
She had already sent out invitation cards for her birthday thanksgiving and retirement ceremony scheduled for October 22. Her colleagues described her as a humble, dedicated worker whose sudden death left the entire agency in shock.
The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, where she was killed, has witnessed hundreds of accidents involving pedestrians, motorcyclists, and motorists. In August 2025, a motorcyclist and his passenger were killed by a truck driver who fled after the tragedy.
Emmanuel-Olowonubi Oluwakemi
Barely a week after Talabi’s tragic death, another tragedy struck in Lokoja as the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) community was thrown into mourning after a trailer crushed Oluwakemi, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, to death along Felele Road in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
The incident occurred just days after the university held its 9th convocation ceremony. The late lecturer, fondly called “Mother of Theatre Arts” by her students, was reportedly returning home when the accident occurred near Crusher Junction, a location notorious for frequent crashes.
Her death has reignited concerns over the safety of the Felele–Crusher axis, where students and commuters have repeatedly lost their lives due to reckless driving and heavy-duty vehicles flouting traffic regulations.
In 2023, the Kogi State government banned trailers from using the road during the day following multiple fatal accidents, but the government has failed to enforce the ban, as tanker explosions and vehicle collisions continue to claim lives in the area.
Social media has been flooded with tributes from students and colleagues describing the late lecturer as a warm, dedicated teacher whose death has left a painful void in the university community.
In July 2025, a protest erupted in Sagamu, Ogun State, after a Toyota Camry driver, reportedly driving at high speed, crushed a bystander, Jide Oyeleke, to death on Ewusi Road.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the driver, believed to be one of a group of suspected “Yahoo boys,” lost control and rammed into the victim. The crash sparked a protest the following day, as residents demanded the installation of speed breakers to prevent further loss of life.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency confirmed that the victim’s remains were deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital morgue, while the vehicle was seized by the police.
All these deaths continue to attract outrage from the deceased families and other Nigerians, who believe that the victims’ deaths only added to a chain of injustice in the country.
They are also furious over the government’s failure to enforce road safety laws, fix several poor roads across the nation, and ensure erring drivers face the law.
Road accidents’ data in Nigeria
Road accidents and crashes are a commonplace in Nigeria. According to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), road crashes claimed 5,421 lives in 2024.
There were 9,570 crashes within the year, out of which 31,154 sustained injuries.
Similarly, between January and 2025 this year, at least 3,400 were killed in such crashes, with 22,162 others sustaining varying degrees of injuries in 6,858 reported crashes across the nation.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance