Fatalities surge by over 54% compared to 2024, even as overall crash numbers and injuries decline.
Abeokuta: The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) has revealed that 48 persons lost their lives in 82 road crashes across the state between September and December 2025, the period popularly referred to as the ember months.
TRACE spokesperson, Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, disclosed the figures in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Tuesday. He explained that while fatalities rose sharply, the number of crashes and injuries recorded during the period showed a decline compared to the previous year.
According to Akinbiyi, 165 people sustained varying degrees of injury in the crashes, representing a 13.94 percent reduction from the 188 injured in the same period of 2024. Similarly, the total number of crashes fell by 12.20 percent, from 92 cases in 2024 to 82 in 2025.
However, fatalities surged by 54.17 percent, rising from 22 deaths in 2024 to 48 in 2025. “Statistical records show that between September and December 2024, a total of 92 cases were recorded, with 188 people injured and 22 persons killed during the period,” Akinbiyi said.
He noted further that pedestrian involvement in crashes declined by 66.67 percent, while commercial and private vehicle involvement dropped by 150 percent and 81.25 percent, respectively. Bus-related crashes reduced by 52.94 percent, articulated vehicles by 37.5 percent, and cars by 41.67 percent.Akinbiyi stressed that the statistics were compiled from incidents witnessed by TRACE and the Nigeria Police Force in the areas covered. He reiterated the corps’ commitment to road safety and urged motorists to exercise caution, particularly during high-risk periods such as the ember months.