LAGOS—A 34-year-old official of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, was Tuesday crushed to death in his attempt to arrest a driver who reportedly violated traffic regulation at Oke-Afa, in the Isolo area of Lagos.
Eyewitnesses said a blue Volkswagen LT bus with number-plate LSR 942XC, drove towards Ejigbo in an attempt to beat the traffic light on reaching Pako. One of the LASTMA officials on duty, one Mustapher Adeleke, reportedly attempted to stop him. In the process, the motorist, identified as Haruna Nuru, reportedly diverted to Okota lane, only to swerve to Isolo lane.
An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Mr. Oluwole, narrated that “LASTMA official was pursuing the driver, as he turned to Okota lane, the LASTMA official jumped on the vehicle, but lost his grip and fell off as the driver swerved to Isolo route, killing him in the process. ”
A statement by LASTMA, yesterday, however, reads that; “An official of LASTMA , Adeleke has been killed by the driver of a private vehicle (Blue Volkswagen LT Bus) with number-plate LSR 942XC.
”The official, who was at his duty post at Oke-Afa, Ejigbo, with his colleagues, were part of the team drafted to the axis to control and enforce driving against traffic along Mile 2 area.
”The driver of the bus, Haruna Nuru, drove against traffic from Isolo end of the road and hit the officer from behind.
Mustapha was later rushed to Isolo General Hospital and confirmed dead. ”The corpse has been deposited at the hospital morgue.
”The driver, having noticed that he had hit a government official, ran away with the vehicle and was apprehended at Abimbola Road, Limca area, after Isolo Bus-stop, and handed over to the police. The suspect has been handed over to the Police at Okota Police Station.”
Meanwhile, LASTMA General Manager, Babatunde Edu, has advised motorists to obey the state’s traffic laws and order and desist from “attacking, maiming or assaulting innocent officers who are tirelessly working to ensure that we get to our various destinations on time and safely.”
Bomb scare in Lagos
There was a bomb scare in Lagos, yesterday, when an attempt by a guest to blow up Reliance Royal Suites at Majekodunmi Street, off Toyin Street in Ikeja, was foiled.
The Anti-Bomb Squad men were said to have arrived the scene at 10.20 a.m, with their devices, taking the suspected explosive to their office.
The male guest reportedly planted the combustive substance inside a jacket with its timer, before leaving the hotel room .
Immediately he left, report said, one of the room attenders went in to clean the room only to discover the suspected explosive.
He reportedly raised an alarm, after which the substance was taken outside the hotel premises before the arrival of the Anti-Bomb Squad.
News of the discovery caused panic among residents of the area as most of them reportedly vacated their homes.
When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in -charge of Bomb Squad, Mr Folunsho Adebanjo, said it was a mere bomb scare, describing the substance as a hoax.
He explained that “one Akinwunmi Alagbegun from Reliance Hotel, came to EOD headquarters to report that an object suspected to be bomb was discovered in one of the rooms.
”I sent some men there who recovered the object and brought it here for analysis and discovered it to be a hoax. The object comprises of an Improvised life jacket, three pieces of red rubber strands, a computer mouse and four pieces of small rectangular polystyrene wrapped in a newspaper, with some carton pieces stapled to the jacket”
He described the unknown guest as a deranged person who was only out to scare people.
The management of the hotel refused Vanguard entry into the premises.
Moments later, men from the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, visited the hotel, apparently to carry out an investigation.
Culled from vanguard
