A yet-to-be-identified commercial bus driver on Tuesday set himself ablaze in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos state.
Taskforce operatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, while on enforcement duty along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road area connecting Ajao Estate, impounded some shuttles.
The driver, whose bus was among the impounded vehicles, was said to be protesting the seizure when he suddenly reached for petrol, poured it on himself and set himself ablaze.
A resident, who gave his name as Aliu, said there was resistance between the aggrieved drivers and the task force operatives during the enforcement.
“Taskforce operatives went to clean up the Airport shuttle area,” Punch quoted him to have said.
“During the exercise, they impounded some buses and had a face-off with some of the drivers. At a point, one of the frustrated drivers poured petrol on himself and set himself ablaze.”
Another resident, who identified herself as Kudirat, said the victim got the vehicle on hire purchase.
“The driver was frustrated. The task force operatives took the impounded vehicles away,” she added.
State police spokesperson Adekunle Ajisebutu said police commissioner Abiodun Alabi had ordered an investigation into the incident.
“The information we got was that there was resistance when task force from the ministry of transportation went for enforcement,” he said.
“No policeman set any vehicle ablaze; policemen attached to the Ajao Estate Police Division were not involved in what happened. However, the Commissioner of Police has ordered an investigation into the incident.”
A spokesperson for the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit, Raheem Gbadeyinka, said no officer of the agency was involved in the operation.
“The incident happened around 5 am and as of 8 am, our men were still at the office because we were looking for fuel for our patrol vans as of that time,” he said.
