Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

Tragedy struck, yesterday, in the Ago, Okota area of Isolo Local Government Area, LGA, of Lagos State, when a vehicle, chased by an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, ran into a tricycle, killing a pregnant woman, her two children and the tricycle operator.

However, the Police said only the pregnant woman and the tricyclist lost their lives.

 

Eyewitnesses alleged that one of the LASTMA officials at Okota roundabout flagged down the driver of a Toyota Sienna MPV (multipurpose vehicle), in an attempt to arrest him for violating traffic rules.

 

The official and a policeman attached to LASTMA were said to have entered the vehicle, with one of them attempting to take over the steering. A struggle ensued between the driver and the LASTMA official, while the vehicle was still in motion, as the former refused to allow the LASTMA to take over the steering.

 

In the process, the driver lost control and collided with the tricycle on Bayo Oyewale Street.

 

The tricyclist, who had his skull broken, died on the spot with the pregnant woman, while the children she was taking to school became unconscious.

 

Protest

The incident sparked protests as an angry mob descended on the LASTMA official.

However, the timely intervention by a team of policemen from Ago Division saved the official from being lynched, as the police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the mob.

 

When arrived at the scene, an eye witness who simply identified himself as Friday, explained, “More than five LASTMA officials alongside a police officer were struggling with the driver. The car attempted to hit me but I dodged it. I was furious and even tried to throw a stone at the driver when I saw that the LASTMA officials were in a confrontation with him. Within minutes, I noticed that they had entered Bayo Oyewale Street, on Ago road.

The Sienna vehicle collided with the tricycle that was operating on the street, killing a pregnant woman and her two children.

The skull of the keke Marwa driver was on the ground. Angry bystanders began assaulting the policeman and LASTMA official who tried to flee.”

 

Another eye witness, whose shop is located opposite the accident scene, said, “I sent my brother downstairs to help me get something downstairs. He rushed back and informed me that there was a crowd at the bus stop where I had my shop. When I got there, I couldn’t comprehend what I saw.

 

“I was told that the Sienna driver was going the wrong way because the road was in a bad condition. In that area, when you reach a certain point, people tend to use one-way routes to bypass the bad road, particularly around Cele.

 

“The tricyclist was my customer. He visited my shop four days ago to make some withdrawals from my Point-of-Sale (POS) machine. He also informed me that he had a newborn baby and he was planning to pay the bride price for the mother of his child in two weeks. They were even discussing preparations for the child’s dedication, which was scheduled for a few days later, before their wedding.

Upon my arrival, I was shocked to see his lifeless body on the ground. I inquired about what had happened, they told me that the Sienna driver had entered the estate, and it was during the altercation with LASTMA that the Sienna collided with the tricycle.

 

Tragically, while the two children lost their lives instantly, the condition of the pregnant woman was critical. They rushed her to the hospital, but before reaching there, I received the news that she had also passed away. I’m not certain about the condition of the Sienna driver. Some said he died too while others said he is in a critical condition in the hospital he was rushed to.

 

The tragedy was sparked by the action of the LASTMA officials. It is baffling why they would chase someone, even when the person entered an estate. They dragged the man, wrestled with the steering right on the street”

 

Another eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Michael, attributed the bad portion on Okota road to reason motorists divert to the opposite road.

 

According to him, “There is a bad route around the roundabout, prompting people to take a one-way route to avoid the bad road. However, LASTMA officials have turned this into a source of income for themselves.

Whenever a driver takes that one-way route, they would stop him and demand money. That’s what happened today (yesterday). They stopped the Sienna but the driver refused to stop. The police officer with them today (yesterday) worked alongside LASTMA officials”

 

Police, LASTMA react

When contacted, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hudenyin, said only the pregnant woman and tricycle operator lost their lives in the incident.

 

On its part, LASTMA, in a statement by its Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, exonerated its official from culpability.

 

Rather, it explained that “Traffic Officer, Hassan Kehinde of Zone 27 Okota, who led the LASTMA patrol team disclosed that a driver of a blue Toyota Sienna bus with plate number AKD 944 HN, was apprehended for driving against traffic around Ago Palace.

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Abbas Balarabe as a ministerial replacement for the former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

 

The replacement was conveyed in a letter read by the Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, at the plenary on Tuesday.

 

Balarabe’s name was read alongside Dr Jamila Ibrahaim and Ayodele Olawande as Minister of Youths and Minister of State for Youths respectively, who were earlier nominated by the president.

 

The PUNCH reports in August that El-Rufai’s name was missing from the list of the ministerial nominees confirmed by the Senate.

 

The Senate after the screening exercise which took place about them a week approved and confirmed a total of 45 out of the 48 nominees sent by President Bola Tinubu.

 

A couple of petitions including those sent by Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) were presented against the former governor during the screening.

 

The lawmaker representing Kogi West, during the ministerial screening, moved against the former Kaduna State governor.

Karimi, after El-Rufai’s presentations, stood up and told the chamber that he had a petition written against the former governor over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna.

He said, “Your performance in any office you find yourself in the country has been outstanding. In the Bureau of Public Enterprises, your record is there, in FCT as a minister, your record is there, and as two-time governor of Kaduna state, you did well.

And I think that the petition has to be considered in this screening exercise.”

 

Karimi then proceeded to lay the petition before Jibrin Barau, the deputy senate president, who was presiding over the screening exercise at the time.

 

Barau in response said, “I don’t know if you followed the normal process, but this is the opportunity for nominees to explain and showcase themselves, later we will come to confirmation and approval.”

 

Other senators commended el-Rufai, noting that the former governor is competent enough to be a minister.

 

Also, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North, Ibrahim Kalid, said he and his two colleagues from the state, as well as all the residents, are in support of el-Rufai’s nomination as minister.

Meanwhile, after making his presentation, the Senate President at the plenary refused to take the petition, levelled against the former governor and said a number of petitions were submitted against a number of the ministerial nominees.

 

Details later…

The FCT Police Command has advised the residents to be wary of boarding unpainted taxis, otherwise known as ‘kabu-kabu,’ to avoid becoming victims of armed robbers, also known as ‘One Chance’.

 

The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Haruna Garba, gave the warning on Tuesday, in Abuja at a news briefing on the command’s achievements in the fight against crime and criminality.

“I wish to advise residents of the FCT to be wary of the kind of vehicles they board. It is advised that they should board only painted taxis from designated motor parks.

It is risky to board an unpainted taxis otherwise known as ‘kabu-kabu’ as they may fall victims of these robbers known as One Chance,” he said.

 

Garba said that police operatives in Abuja, while on crime prevention patrol, rescued one Ebere Alice, who boarded a Golf taxi and was robbed by the driver and the gang members of her belongings before dropping her off.

 

He said that the police gave the hoodlums a hot chase, halted the vehicle and arrested three suspects.

 

“They include Sylvester Attah, the gang leader, who has been into One Chance robbery for the past three years, Olalekan Salihu, and Gabriel Okwashi.

 

“The suspects confessed to the crime and the Golf car with Reg. No TKP 624 AA used in committing the crime was recovered. Suspects will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation,” he said.

 

Garba said that police operatives from Mabushi Division, acting on a credible intelligence, also arrested one Samuel Vincent, a member of a robbery gang, who specialises in robbing unsuspecting taxi passengers of their belongings.

 

“The suspect was about to be lynched by an angry mob before Police intervention

 

The suspect, alongside three others currently at large, had picked a woman (name unknown) from Karmo heading to Lugbe, and then diverted the vehicle to Mabushi area and dispossessed the victim of her belongings.

The suspect confessed to his involvement in the crime and the car used in perpetrating the crime has been recovered. Suspect is cooperating with the police on how to apprehend the fleeing suspects,” he said.

 

The CP also explained that police operatives from Mabushi Division, acting on credible intelligence trailed and arrested four other suspected armed robbers.

 

He said that the suspects included Oluwatobi Precious (an ex-convict), Theophilous Elkana, Ibrahim Usman and Umar Ibrahim, an ex-convict.

 

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects robbed motorists of their phones while in traffic jam around Mobil filing station, Mabushi and zoomed off in a getaway golf car.

Suspects confessed to the crime, while the said Golf car with Reg. No. DKA 288 RY, grey in colour, an Iphone 14 Pro Max and several ATM cards bearing different names and substances suspected to be cocaine were recovered from them,” Garba said.

 

He said that police operatives from Lugbe Division, acting on actionable intelligence, arrested one Emmanuel Abraham also known as ‘Mosquito’, a wanted and notorious armed robber/cultist linked to various cases of armed robbery/culpable homicide and other cult activities within Lugbe and environs.

 

“The suspect whose cohorts are presently in prison for robbery of one Mrs Abiodun Okunde, since 29th October, 2020 will equally be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigation,” he said.

 

Garba aid that the police operatives from Kabusa Division trailed and arrested one Adamu Idris, also known as Idi, a wanted and notorious kingpin responsible for series of kidnapping around Galadimawa/Apo, Lokogoma and Kabusa axis.

 

“The suspect, who was sighted at Okada Junction, Kabusa, took to his heels, was given a hot chase and apprehended by police operatives.

During interrogation, suspect confessed to being a member of a 5-man gang, whose other members are currently at large,” he said.

 

Garba said that the suspect was cooperating with the police to apprehend other gang members and would be charged to court soon.

 

In a similar development, on 21/09/2023, one Abubakar Usman of opposite Estate Galadimawa reported at Kabusa Division that two persons later identified as Auwal Wada and Suleiman Hassan of Galadimawa village threatened to kidnap him and his entire family if he failed to offer them N7million ransom.

 

“However, an agreement was reached that he would pay N5 million. The police operatives from Kabusa laid a siege at the point of collection in a bush around Shereti village.

 

“The two suspects emerged to collect the ransom and were promptly arrested.

 

Organised labour and the Federal Government finally came to an agreement on Monday evening after an hours-long meeting, leading to a 30-day suspension of the nationwide indefinite strike action scheduled for the next month.

provision of funds as announced by the President on the 1st of August broadcast to the Nation for Micro and Small Scale Enterprises. The MSMEs beneficiaries should commit to the principle of decent jobs.

A joint visitation will be made to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.

All parties commit to henceforth abide by the dictates of Social dialogue in all our future engagements.

The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.

This Memorandum shall be filed with the relevant Court of competent jurisdiction within one (1) week as consent judgment by the Federal Government.

Signed:

The Organised Labour, on Monday night, agreed to suspend its indefinite strike planned to start on Tuesday.

 

The resolution followed over five hours of deliberations between the Federal Government and Labour at the Chief of Staff Conference Room of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

Announcing the outcome of the meeting to State House correspondents, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said: “The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned indefinite nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.”

Lalong said the Memorandum shall be filed with the relevant court of competent jurisdiction within one week as consent judgment by the FG.

 

However, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the unions would revisit the agreement if the FG fails to fulfill its demands.