Officials of the Federal Road Safety Service (FRSC) rescued lives in the Ojodu area of Lagos, Tuesday, and played no condemnable part in the tragedy that occurred in the axis.
This is according to a statement FRSC Lagos command spokesperson Olabisi Sonusi issued in response to reports that linked the agency to the deaths of students in the area.
GoldMyne TV reported how an unconfirmed number of Ojodu Grammar School students were crushed to death by a speeding truck on Tuesday afternoon. Dr Olaide Oyetunde of God’s Apple City Hospital told GoldMyne TV that three injured students were brought to her facility for treatment.
Other reports claimed that the driver was being chased by FRSC officials who wanted to extort money from him.
The crash was said to have occurred on Ogunnusi Road, Grammar School Bus Stop around 2 pm on Tuesday.
“I was also at the bus stop trying to buy doughnut while the other students were trying to cross the road,” Punch quoted a student to have said.
“Some boys had crossed earlier, so they were at the other side of the road abusing the female students for not being smart enough to cross like them.
“The students gave the truck driver a sign to wait for them to cross, but it didn’t stop and the truck crushed 17 of them to death, while some were injured.
“The driver did not wait, so other students and adults chased the driver to Ogba, where he was arrested and his truck was burnt.”
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The Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) confirmed that students were killed in the accident but, as of Tuesday night, did not release the death toll.
State police spokesperson Adekunle Ajisebutu said only two persons were killed in the accident, adding that 12 others were injured. He added that the police had to “professionally disperse” an angry mob that wanted to riot in the aftermath of the accident.
Ajisebutu also said that the truck driver, Bolaji Kabiru, had also been arrested.
Lagos FRSC spokesperson Olabisi Sonusi said that officials of the agency were called to the scene to save lives.
“An articulated truck was said to have lost control at the Grammar School Bus Stop along Ogunnusi Road, Lagos, which caused the death of an unverified number of students and left many injured,” he said in a statement.
“The men of the FRSC were called upon by passersby to help intervene after the crash happened.
“The general public should disregard the disgruntled information being circulated by some unscrupulous elements that FRSC men caused the crash.
“We want to place on record that our men were not in any way involved in the cause of the crash as patrol activities were not ongoing along that axis as of the time of the crash.”
