“‘Help me! Help me!’—the screams of those trapped in the inferno echoed through the chaos, but no one could save them.”
Barely two weeks after their fairytale wedding, Chiedozie and Joan Okoye’s joyous beginning met a horrific end. On March 11, a gas tanker with failed brakes careened into traffic near Lagos’ Otedola Bridge, triggering an explosion that engulfed their car. Eyewitness Michael recounted the chaos: “Their screams of ‘Help me!’ pierced the air, but no one could save them.” Witnesses described a scene of horror, as flames engulfed multiple vehicles, leaving behind charred remains and unbearable grief. Official reports placed the death toll at four, but eyewitnesses suggested a higher count, with several others injured and properties destroyed.
The newlyweds were identified only by their vehicle’s registration number among the charred wreckage—a grim contrast to the vibrant lives they had just begun together.
The Okoyes’ final hours were ordinary until tragedy struck. Chiedozie, a Zenith Bank executive, had picked up Joan—a U.S.-based nurse days from returning to work abroad—when disaster hit. Family members initially feared a kidnapping when calls went unanswered, but their search ended at Yaba Mortuary. On Facebook, Elliot Egari mourned: “Dozie could sacrifice anything for you… I’m pained help didn’t come your way.” Joan’s classmate pleaded under her last photo: “Please like my comment—your parents are waiting.” Their February 22 wedding footage now plays like a cruel prelude to the March 22 funeral convoy, where dual coffins were lowered to mourners’ wails.
The tragedy spotlights Nigeria’s recurring transport disasters. Safety officer Emmanuel Bernard demanded “remote sensors for gas leaks and enforced hazardous material routes,” while Instagram user William Perry9410 blamed systemic failures: “This loss was preventable.” As families cling to memories—like Joan’s unused U.S. flight ticket—the bridge’s infamy grows, leaving a nation questioning when empty promises will turn to action.