Road Carnage: 3,445 Nigerians killed in nine months, 22,292 injured

The Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, announced this on Monday during a joint briefing in Abuja to mark the 2026 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

He said the country recorded 7,156 crashes within the nine-month period, leaving 22,292 people injured.

Mohammed blamed excessive speeding and reckless driving for many of the accidents, warning that careless decisions on the roads continued to cost lives.

“These figures represent more than statistics; they are human lives lost, families shattered and communities thrown into grief,” he said.

He said the corps was strengthening enforcement, public awareness campaigns and targeted patrols using its Road Traffic Crash Database Management System to identify accident-prone routes.

Mohammed also urged motorists to obey speed limits, avoid distractions and use appropriate safety restraints. He called on government agencies, transport unions and other stakeholders to work together to reduce road fatalities.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Pavel Ursu, said about 1.2 million people die annually in road crashes worldwide, with more than 90 per cent of the deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

He noted that road injuries remained the leading cause of death among people aged five to 29.

Ursu described the African Road Safety Charter, which came into force on March 12, 2026, as a major step towards improving road safety across the continent. He commended Nigeria for being among the first countries to ratify it.

He said the WHO would continue supporting Nigeria through improved road infrastructure, enforcement, emergency services and crash data management.

The 2026 commemoration, themed “A Light That Unites Us”, runs from November 9 to November 15.