Bus driver allegedly kills LASTMA officer

The Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) has said a bus driver on Tuesday fatally hit one of its officers at the Mile 12-Ketu road, Lagos.

Olajide Oduyoye, the general manager of LASTMA, said via the agency’s official Twitter handle Thursday that the deceased, identified as Samson Akinmade, passed on in the early hours of Wednesday.

“The driver of a blue-black Opel Space Bus with registration number AAA 74 GG knocked down Akinmade at Demurin Street junction inwards Mile 12, while controlling traffic, leaving him with head and body injuries.

“The officer was immediately rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), where he eventually died around 1.00 a.m this morning as a result of the severe injury sustained,” Mr Oduyoye said.

According to the LASTMA boss, the deceased was controlling traffic and was knocked down by a driver who thought the officer was out to arrest him for violating traffic rules.

The deceased was knocked against a concrete culvert and the bus dragged him for about seven metres with him sustaining severe injuries in the head and other parts of the body.

“The event occurred while the deceased was directing yellow buses away from the Demurin Street Junction choke point and approached the motorist to park away from the road to pick passengers.

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“The driver assumed that he would be apprehended for obstructing traffic and sped off, knocking down the officer against the concrete culvert on the service lane and dragging him for about seven metres. ”

Mr Oduyoye said the incident was a sad one as it cost the agency a young, intelligent and dedicated officer. The late Mr Akinmade was employed in 2019.

“He has been cut down in his prime by a careless and lawless driver, thereby depriving his family, the government agency, Lagos and Nigeria of a future leader in the making,” he said.

Mr Oduyoye said the driver of the bus was apprehended after he made attempts to escape.

The driver and his vehicle were handed to the police at Alapere Division, he said.

The LASTMA boss sympathised with the family of the deceased and assured them that the driver will be brought to book.