Six persons have died in a multiple-vehicle crash involving tankers, articulated trucks and cars at the Ibadan toll gate section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Oyo State Fire Service has confirmed.

The accident, which occurred on Friday night, sparked a fire that left commuters stranded for hours on Saturday as traffic piled up along the busy corridor.

Moroof Akinwande, chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, disclosed in a statement that eight other victims were pulled from the wreckage and handed over to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for medical attention.

He explained that the agency got a distress call at about 9:29pm from a police officer identified as Sola Rotimi, prompting the immediate deployment of firefighters to the scene.

Akinwande said responders met six vehicles involved in the crash, comprising gas tankers, articulated trucks and two cars, with sections of the scene already on fire by the time they arrived.

"The crew quickly swung into action, and the fire was restricted from causing further damage to other vehicles and nearby properties," he said.

He noted that preliminary findings pointed to brake failure as the likely cause of the accident.

The fire service chief called on motorists to exercise caution on highways and to ensure their vehicles carry functional fire extinguishers to help manage emergencies before they escalate.

Social media videos showed hundreds of vehicles caught in gridlock as the burnt tankers blocked a section of the road, with charred vehicle parts and burnt tyres scattered across the highway. Commuters voiced frustration over the extended delays.

Tribune Online reports that Nigerian comedian Bayegun Oluwatoyin, known as Woli Arole, was among those stuck in the traffic and raised the alarm in a video posted on Facebook on Saturday.

He said motorists had been trapped for between three and four hours, and suggested an earlier vehicle fire might have worsened the gridlock. He also called on road safety officials to step in and ease the situation.

The video, sighted by Tribune Online, captured long queues of trucks, cars and other vehicles stretching along the expressway.

He said, "If you are planning to come to Ibadan today just stay. People have been here three to four hours. I think there was car burnt on the way yesterday or so. It's serious. See where we dey so and we are close to Guru Maharaj Ji. Stay at home."