By Kate Halim And Lawrence Enyogahsu
They lay on their hospital beds wincing in pain and with tears in their eyes. They had so much to say; they had a sad story to tell but they couldn’t muster enough strength to voice out what they were feeling.
And when they could talk, they would ask after their friends and classmates. You wouldn’t know what hurt them more; the pain from the syringe, drips and morphine or the thought that they were yet to see their friends or that they would probably never see them again.
They are students of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Secondary School, Ojodu, Berger, Lagos. An articulated vehicle rammed into many of the students on their way back from school earlier in the week, causing death, dislocation and monumental distress.
According to some eyewitnesses, the accident happened at Grammar School Bus Stop, Ogunnusi Road, along Ogba-Ojodu/Berger axis while the truck driver was trying to evade arrest by Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and men of the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA. The agencies have denied the allegations.
Lekan, one of the survivors receiving treatment at the God’s Apple City Hospital, Ojodu-Berger kept asking his mother if she had seen his friend, Tayo. Tears flowed freely anytime he asked, and each time, mum was the answer. At last, he concluded: “It will pain me if Tayo dies. He was the one who pushed me away from the truck.”
As he continued to cry, others joined too while trying to console him. Even though they couldn’t leave their beds, they had soothing words for him as he cried.
Then, another student in the same ward named Bose Ogunseye stood up from her bed, staggering with the plaster on her head. She dragged Lekan’s head closer and wiped his tears. She told him that Tayo didn’t die and that he would see his friend again.
Bose has a sister, Christiana, another student who lay in a critical state at the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre.
Her mother, Mrs Titilayo Ogunseye, said the incident had put her family in turmoil. While Mrs Ogunseye was about to have her morning mouthwash as the reporter spoke with her, her phone rang. The call was from a family member who wanted to know how the children were faring.
Mrs. Ogunseye was strong at first, responding calmly to the caller. But all of a sudden, she couldn’t hold it anymore and burst into tears. “My own Christy cannot stand up to urinate or defecate,” she cried.
Amidst tears, she narrated her daughter’s ordeal to Saturday Sun. Ogunseye said: “The person admitted here (Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre) is Christiana Ogunseye. She had just finished her classes like every other student in the school with her elder sister, Bose, who hit her head on the concrete by the gutter.”
She recalled that when the accident happened, her daughters were in the company of a male student who escaped unhurt and ran home to notify her neighbours that her two daughters were injured in an accident.
When asked how she was coping with shuttling between Ketu and Ogba to attend to her children, Ogunseye said: “My sons are the ones taking care of my daughter at the hospital. Christiana cannot sit or stand since the accident and has been in one position. She has been defecating through pipe. They are not in good condition yet but I thank God that my daughters are alive.”
Ogunseye stated that her daughter said a few words and asked her about her friend, Motun and if she would be well enough to attend a family wedding on December 18. She said that hearing her ask her those questions broke her heart, as she didn’t have truthful answers to them.
“My daughters had plans to attend a family function, a wedding, on the 18th of this month. That was what she was harping on because she was looking forward to having a good time at the event. But there she is, lying down as she can’t move or stand,” she stated.
In the same vein, when Saturday Sun spoke to Taiye Taiwo, an aunt to a student named Olamide Odubote who was also involved in the accident, she stated that the incident has spoilt the plan she had for Olamide as she had planned to take her on a trip to Ibadan before the unfortunate incident.
“My niece, Olamide Odubote is an SS1 student of the school. She is my twin sister’s daughter. She has been with me since she was six years old. I first heard the news about the incident at Alade Market where I sell fish when my younger sibling, Idowu called. Quickly, I begged him to look for her but nobody saw her. He also tried to get to the school but he was tear-gassed by the police who were trying to maintain law and order at the scene of the accident. He returned home with tears in his eyes”, Taiwo said.
She said the family kept trying to find out what happened until they got information that the injured students had been taken to different hospitals. She said Idowu went to all the hospitals, but he couldn’t find her niece, Olamide, adding that nobody could reach the student on phone, as the school does not allow the use of phones by students.
Taiwo explained that later, she got a call that her niece was at the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre, and that she had since been taking care of her, hoping she would get better. “But she keeps asking about her friends and if they are alive and well,” Taiwo said.
Meanwhile, Christiana’s friend, Motun was reported dead by her father, a police officer, Yekini Bello, who alleged that his daughter was pushed into the path of the killer trailer.
“My daughter is Motun. Someone had pushed her in a bid to escape the reckless trailer that was allegedly being chased by road traffic law enforcement officers. I was expecting her to come back home on time, but I didn’t see her. I then got information that an accident had occurred here. Like every parent of the students here would do, I got panicky.”
On Thursday morning, the restless father said he showed his daughter’s ID card to the principal of the school, who assured him that she was not among the victims.
But later on, Bello said he got news that his daughter was among the dead. He told Saturday Sun that it was one of the students walking behind his daughter that pushed her, and while she was about to regain her balance, she fell on the road and the trailer crushed her.
Another student, 17-year-old Wisdom Ezejiofor was happy to see his mother after sustaining injuries from the accident that killed some of his schoolmates. His mother, Grace Ezejiofor said she almost passed out when she saw her son’s shoes at the scene of the accident.
According to the thankful mum, Wisdom is currently receiving treatment and recuperating at God’s Apple City Hospital. She said the teenager sustained injuries on his leg, waist and sides. He currently limps when he walks and is still under observation, she told Saturday Sun.
Ezejiofor said: “We have paid an initial deposit of N15, 000 for the hospital to commence treatment. They have done an x-ray and they said he has injuries in his waist and they would monitor him because he limps when he walks.”
Drama at hospital
There was some drama at the Lagos Accidents and Emergency Centre. A senior nurse whose name tag was not clear but had Alao on it stopped a police officer that wanted to enter into the general ward to interview the students.
The nurse stood her ground, saying there was a standing order that nobody should talk to the survivors except their caregivers.
The police officer tried to talk his way through but the nurse denied him entry. The confrontation degenerated into a shouting match between the two, but the policeman was finally pacified by a female soldier stationed at the hospital.
LASTMA dissociates personnel from incident
The General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Bolaji Oreagba has dissociated the agency from any involvement in the unfortunate incident.
Oreagba said: “From the reports we received on the incident, the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle, probably because of mechanical reasons. The police are still investigating the matter; the public should wait for their report.
“LASTMA does not have a traffic management duty post around the accident scene. And all patrol personnel had reported back to base for a daily parade as at the time the accident occurred, leaving only those at their traffic management posts,” he added.