National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
There was pandemonium at Kodesoh Street, Ikeja, Lagos this morning when a team of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) in trying to apprehend a commercial bus caused an accident.
According to commercial drivers and traders along the street, a pregnant woman on board the seven seater bus popularly called ‘Korope’ fell off the bus being chased and hit her head on the road.
“We don’t know if the woman is still alive as she has been rushed to the hospital,” said an eye witness who is a phone seller at the neighbouring computer village.
A commercial driver who was also at the scene said the incident happened before 10am.
“The driver of the bus is one of us in the park. She is a woman and I don’t know why they wanted to arrest her,” he reported.
“That is why they always come here to arrest us and collect our hard earned money. The governor must do something about it. Nigeria is hard and it’s hard for everybody. They are not the only one looking for money.
“The pregnant woman was on the bus and in her attempt to get down from the bus, the driver swerved to escape arrest. That was how she fell off the bus,” he said.
Meanwhile, boys in the area have vowed to avenge the action of the LASTMA officials who are fond of harrasing commercial transporters.
Unknown to a LASTMA official who went into a shop opposite the scene of the incident, a mob was already waiting for any LASTMA official in uniform.
As at the time of filing this report, a crowd had besieged the phone shop waiting for the LASTMA staff to come out and explain what had happened earlier.
A commercial driver who claimed anonymity said, “We have sensitised some LASTMA guys on the incident and they have removed their uniforms because guys are angry already and may descend on them.”
Recently, a LASTMA official was seen in a video that went viral beating a soldier with a baton and the action got a response from military personnel which was not palatable for LASTMA.
The Lagos State government should take responsibility and address the menace of some of the unprofessional LASTMA officials always on rampage within the metropolis.
Observers are still praying the life of the pregnant woman is spared, else there may be a reaction from the streets.
Story by Dayo Emmanuel
