LASTMA Official And Bus Driver Kill Motorcyclist While Struggling For Steering Wheel

 

A man identified as John Abanna who operatives a bike-hailing service has died in the hands of an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and a commercial bus driver.

 

According to Punch, Abanna was knocked down by the bus at Apogbon, Lagos Island, while the LASTMA official was reportedly dragging the steering wheel with the Danfo driver.

 

It all started after two officials had flagged down the driver along the road last Saturday for violating a traffic law.

 

In an attempt to evade arrest, the driver reportedly made to zoom off but one of the officials pounced on his steering wheel.

 

Punch correspondent gathered that as they were struggling the steering wheel with each other, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it rammed into Abanna’s motorcycle. The rider died on the spot.

 

Angered by the incident, some youths reportedly took on the officials who fled the scene and headed for their office along Funsho Williams Avenue, Iponri, – a few kilometres away.

 

An eyewitness, who identified himself only as Tolu, told City Round that the angry youths stormed the agency’s office in Iponri and vandalised some vehicles.

 

He said, “Some LASTMA officials wanted to arrest a Danfo driver at Apogbon for a traffic offence but he resisted arrest. One of them started struggling the steering wheel with the driver who was not ready to surrender.

Tolu said police from the Iponri division later came to disperse the crowd and restored normalcy.

 

The LASTMA spokesperson, Mr Olumide Filade, howver, denied that the officials were responsible for the crash.

 

He said, “The incident has nothing to do with us. From Apogbon, the motorcyclist was riding against traffic when he was knocked down by the bus. No LASTMA official was struggling with the Danfo driver.

 

Asked whether there was an attempt to arrest the driver, Filade said, “Even if they wanted to arrest the driver, the bus would not have knocked him (Abanna) down if he was not riding against traffic.”

 

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, said the corpse had been deposited at the Mainland Hospital mortuary, Yaba, and investigation had commenced.

 

He said, “Police received information that some commercial motorcyclists popularly known as okada riders had invaded LASTMA office along Funsho Williams Avenue.