Commercial bus crushes three pupils in Lagos

LAGOS—
A mob yesterday, barricaded the Mile
Two‑Badagry expressway, protesting the killing
of three primary school pupils by a commercial
bus driver.
Two of the deceased were said to be children of
same parents.
There were different accounts of how the pupils
were killed in the unforunate incident. A version
of the account had it that the deceased, whose
identities were not immediately ascertained
were at the median, trying to cross over to the
opposite side of the road when the commercial
bus ran over them.
Another version had it that they had successfully
crossed to the opposite side when the bus,
moving against traffic, rammed into them.
The protesters, who were armed with dangerous
weapons, reportedly set three commercial buses
ablaze while several vehicles’ windscreens were
shattered.
The protest resulted in a gridlock which forced
commuters to trek long distances before they
could board buses to their destinations.
One of the protesters, who simply gave his
name as Lekan Ajayi said: “The reckless manner
in which bus drivers ply this route is deplorable.
Several persons have been killed along this
route, no thanks to these drivers who drive with
reckless abandon. The most annoying aspect of
it all is that when they knock down someone
they won’t wait to assist the person to the
hospital. Rather, they will continue their
business as if nothing had happened.”
“In this case, the driver of the Hiace bus was not
patient enough to allow the one ahead of him
move. In his bid to move ahead, he veered off
his lane because he was on high speed and ran
over the pupils who were standing on the
median at ACOED bus stop.
“Commuters who witnessed the incident went
on the trail of the fleeing bus but could not get
the driver or the conductor. That was what led
to the protest.”
One of the pupils, who was later identified as
Odu Timothy, a primary four pupil of Anglican
Primary School, Otto Awori, died on the spot.
The other two died while efforts were on to take
them to the hospital. Two others who sustained
injuries were rushed to the hospital.”
However, Police sources at Area ‘K’, Morogbo,
dismissed claims that three pupils lost their lives
in the tragic incident, stating rather that only
one person died.
According to Police sources, “the incident
occurred at about 7.30 a.m. after a commercial
bus ran over one pupil at Ijanikin and she died
on the spot. The incident generated a mob that
set the bus ablaze after its driver and conductor
fled. Normalcy has been restored.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the Lagos State
Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide,
failed.