Nigeria: Vehicle tracked by LASTMA kills pregnant woman, 2 children, and tricycle driver
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
A tragedy occurred yesterday in Okota-Ago area of Isolo Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State. A vehicle being chased by an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, rammed into a tricycle, resulting in the officer losing his life. A pregnant woman, her two children, and a tricycle driver arrived.
However, police say only the pregnant woman and the tricycle driver were killed.
Witnesses claimed that one of his LASTMA police officers stopped the driver of a Toyota Sienna MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) at Okoda roundabout and arrested him for violating traffic regulations.
The officer and the LASTMA officer got into the car and one of them allegedly tried to take the wheel. While the vehicle was still on the road, an altercation occurred between the driver and his LASTMA officer. The former is because he refused to give control to LASTMA.
The driver lost control and collided with a tricycle on Bayo Oyewale Road.
The tricycle driver, who suffered a fractured skull, died on the spot along with his pregnant girlfriend, and the children she was taking to school were left unconscious and in critical condition.
The incident sparked protests as an angry mob attacked LASTMA officials.
However, the timely intervention of a team of police officers from Ago district saved the police officer from being lynched as the police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the mob.
When Vanguard arrived at the scene, a witness who identified himself only as Freitag said, “More than five LASTMA officers and one police officer were fighting with the driver. A car tried to hit me, but I avoided it. When I saw the LASTMA officers confronting the driver, I got angry and even tried to throw stones at the driver. Within minutes, I noticed that they had entered Bayo Oyewale Street, Ago Street.
“A pregnant woman and her two children were killed when a Sienna car collided with a tricycle traveling on the road.”
