Christopher Oji
It was a black Sunday in Lagos when a truck-laden container ran into commuters and a commercial motorcycle operator (Okada rider) and killed four people on the spot.
The container accident happened at the Agboju area, on the Lagos/Badagry Expressway.
The truck reportedly had a break failure and ran into the victims while the container on the truck fell on passersby; and, in the process, injured many.
A senior Police officer, who declined to be named, as he was not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed the fatality and added: “Many people were injured too. I don’t know how many were injured but about six people have been rushed to the hospital.
“We are trying to evacuate the bodies of four people crushed by the container.
“We have been warning truck drivers that the roads are bad and that they should keep their vehicles in order.We have also warned them to always latch their containers but they won’t listen. It is pathetic because more people who sustained varying degrees of injury may die.”
The police officer said the Divisional Police Officer of Agboju, CSP Chike Oti, and his team kept vigilance in the area; to prevent hoodlums from cashing in on the situation to cause break down of law and order.
He said: “The timely intervention of the police saved the situation as aggrieved youths in the area wanted to kill the truck driver and set other trucks within the area on fire.
“The area was tense as youths barricaded the road with bonfire.
“The driver was arrested and he is in protective custody of the police.”
A resident, John Udor, however, blamed the bad roads and negligence of government agencies for the tragedy
He said: “Government should expedite action on road repairs.
“The roads are in terrible state. More so, government agencies, such as the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police and the Lagos State Management Agency are treating truck drivers as lords while they are busy chasing commercial bus drivers and private car owners as Ebola patients.
“That is why truck drivers can bring in all kind of rickety vehicles to the state. That is why a truck will carry containers without latching them.
“Government should take action on this issue as all manner of trucks that enter Lagos.”
Asked to react to the tragedy, Lagos State Police/Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, said he was yet to be briefed by Agboju DPO, as at press time, yesterday night.