It was a day of tragedy in Lagos on Tuesday as a truck, believed to be running from some law enforcement officials, rammed into students of Bab Fafunwa Millennium School, Ojodu and killed some of them.
The incident happened in the Ojodu axis of Ikeja.
Immediately the incident happened, hundreds of students went on the rampage.
The truck was set ablaze and scores of trucks destroyed.
According to an eyewitness account, the truck driver ran away but was caught at Ogba-Aguda very close to Excellence Hotel.
The driver was immediately arrested by policemen attached to Ojodu Police State.
A student said: “The sight is gory as the students were crushed. The accident happened immediately the school opened its gate after closure. Someone even said two students of same parents were victims. It is terrible”.
From Ogba to Ojodu and Berger on the Expressway, scores of students were seen with stones, sticks and iron, vandalising trucks on the road. Later, policemen were seen patrolling to maintain law and order.
Some hoodlums wanted to seize the opportunity to start looting but were arrested by policemen.
Later, a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, reads:
“Today, 7th December, 2021 at about 1415hrs, a DAF truck with Registration No. APP 438 YA driven by one Bolaji Kabiru ‘m’ rammed into some pedestrians later identified as students of Bab Fafunwa Millennium School, Ojodu formerly Ojodu Grammar School.
“As a result of the accident, two males died on the spot, seven females and five males totalling twelve victims sustained varying degrees of injuries. Traffic personnel from the Motor Traffic Department of the Ojodu Police Division immediately visited the scene. Corpses of the dead students (identity not yet known) were evacuated with the support of officers of the FRSC and were deposited at the Morgue of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.
“The injured victims were taken to God’s Apple City Hospital, Ojodu Berger; St. Michael Hospital, Ojodu; and the Lagos State Emergency Hospital, Toll Gate.
“The erring driver has been apprehended and kept in police custody. However, the angry students who were later joined by hoodlums set the accidented vehicle ablaze.
“They also attacked the Ojodu Police Station in their large number, demanding the release of the driver for jungle justice.
“However, when their demand was not met, they became violent. In the process, they destroyed four vehicles parked in the premises of the police station and another mobile truck on the highway.
“To avoid total breakdown of law and order, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, immediately ordered deployment of policemen comprising tactical teams, Rapid Response Squad and others to the scene to maintain law and order.
“The protesters were professionally dispersed with minimum force without resulting to any further injury.
“While commiserating with the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the fatal motor accident, the Commissioner of Police appeals to sympathisers and other members of the public to allow the police carry out a thorough investigation, and avoid seeking self help”.
