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By Oscar Okhifo
A senior official of the Lagos State Government, Serifat Olubukola Talabi, has died in a fatal road accident just four days to her retirement and 60th birthday celebration.
Talabi, who until her death was the Director of Procurement at the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA), was reportedly knocked down by a vehicle while crossing the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway near the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) camp in the Ibafo area of Ogun State on Friday, October 18, 2025.
She was said to have died on the spot, bringing an abrupt end to a 24-year career in the Lagos State Civil Service.
Her passing came as a devastating shock to colleagues, family, and friends, who were finalising arrangements for her 60th birthday thanksgiving and retirement ceremony slated for October 22 at the NERDC Conference Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
It was gathered that Talabi was initially scheduled to retire on October 13, her birthday, but the event was postponed to October 22 due to the unavailability of LASRRA’s General Manager.
Born in 1965, Talabi joined the Lagos State Civil Service in 2001 as Accountant I (Grade Level 9). She later transferred to the procurement cadre in 2012 and served in several ministries and agencies before her posting to LASRRA in March 2019. She was promoted to the rank of Director earlier in 2025.
In a condolence message, the management of LASRRA described her death as “a painful loss” to the agency and the entire Lagos State Civil Service, noting that she was a “diligent, disciplined, and motherly officer whose contributions to public service will not be forgotten.”
A wake-keep has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, while her burial will take place on Thursday, October 24, at Ore-Ofe Street, Ara Hall Bus Stop, Ibafo, Ogun State, at 10 a.m.
Her tragic death has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by pedestrians on Nigeria’s major highways, particularly the busy Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, where similar accidents have claimed many lives.