News

3 crushed to death as container falls off a truck on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

Published

3 months ago

February 17, 2024

Three people have been crushed to death after a container fell off a truck near Mowe on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The container on Saturday morning, February 17, 2024, fell off a truck with number plate T-1563 LA and trapped the three victims said to be occupants of a Howo truck without a number plate.

The Ogun State Sector Command, Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe who confirmed the incident in a statement blamed it on dangerous driving leading to loss of control.

The FRSC rescue team was said to have tried to save the lives of the victims; the driver and two passengers but the trio could not make it due to the impact of the injury and their remains were said to have been deposited at a morgue in Sagamu.

The statement partly read, “The FRSC operatives at Mowe carried out rescue operation at about 0107 hrs on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around Mowe involving two vehicles (trucks) with registration number T-15636LA Bluebird and a HowoTruck with no number on it

“Three persons were involved, all male adults, and they were all killed by the container that fell and rested on the occupants of the HOWO truck. The suspected cause of the crash was dangerous driving and loss of control.

“The operatives tried to rescue the trapped victims but unfortunately the driver and two other people in front of the vehicle died. The dead bodies were taken to Idera Morgue, Sagamu.

“A tow truck was contacted to pull off the truck to ease traffic flow and a crane was also contacted to remove the container off the road. Operatives are still on the ground managing the situation.”

Meanwhile, the FRSC advised motorists to drive defensively while ensuring that the interests of other road users are always taken care of to avoid accidents.

The agency urged drivers to always anticipate the actions of other road users, avoid dangerous driving and follow traffic rules and regulations at all times.

In another development, there was pandemonium late Friday at the Science Equipment Market, Onitsha Bridgehead in Anambra as operatives of the Anambra State Anti-Touting Squad allegedly shot one person dead and injured several others.

It was gathered that trouble started at the market when the operatives invaded the area in search of someone who was said to have urinated in a restricted area and ran into the market for cover.

Eyewitnesses said the operatives shot indiscriminately for over two hours while in the market resulting in the traders scampering to safety, leading to destruction and looting of people’s goods.

One of the traders who simply identified himself as Okonkwo to The PUNCH, said, “Yesterday, was a black Friday in this market, the operatives killed a man simply because he urinated along the Onitsha-Asaba Expressway.

“After urinating, the boy ran into the market as the operatives chased him. When they entered the market, they started shooting. This caused pandemonium in the market as many sellers and buyers in the market sustained severe injuries while scampering to safety.

“Stray bullets hit two people who were rushed to the hospital after they had left. The victims sell drugs at Ogboogwu market. People’s goods were also destroyed and looted. They sealed our toilets and started collecting money from anyone they saw who urinated outside. This is the cause of the problem.”

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has ordered a probe into the development.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Adeoye has ordered the immediate transfer of a reported murder incident that happened at the head bridge market by 4:30 pm, on Friday.

“Our officers led by the DPO head bridge, on receipt of the information, moved to the scene and saw a young man in a pool of blood while another was injured.

“The victims were rushed to the hospital where the doctor confirmed one dead. The police also recovered six expended cartridges from the scene. Further details shall be communicated, please,” Ikenga added.