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The events of the past weeks in Lagos have clearly shown that the acclaimed Centre of Excellence in Nigeria might not be excellent in ensuring the safety of lives and properties of its teeming populace.
Residents for long have grappled with the possibility of not returning home alive each day they leave for work because of the uncertainties dotting the roads to and fro work and other destinations they might have in mind.
In what appears to be a tiresome sight, Lagosians are almost beginning to see accident scenes as ‘normal’ and not so newsworthy. If it doesn’t happen today, it sure must happen the day after. That is how frequent needless and avoidable accidents occur on Lagos roads. However, findings by TheNewsGuru.com, TNG revealed that some of these accidents are not entirely due to bad roads. In fact, in recent weeks, most are due to the menace of containers (not properly latched) falling off the attached trucks. And when this happens innocent lives and properties are wantonly destroyed.
Apparently, Lagosians have a lot of forces to contend with daily on the road. Aside the container-laden trucks, there are also fuel tankers whose menace is also on another level of destruction. Despite the highly inflammable nature of their contents, these tanker drivers want to drive on a speed of light like a normal vehicle and most times end up spilling their contents tragically.
Despite a subsisting law in the state banning the movement of trucks and other articulated vehicles from 6 am to 9 pm, however, the drivers of these heavy duty vehicles seem to be above the law and authorities as they are found on the roads from morning till night causing unnecessary traffic and loss of lives.
Residents, drivers share terrible experience
Further findings by TNG revealed that both private and commercial drivers and even residents have had their fair share of the menace of heavy duty vehicle drivers on Lagos roads. They appealed to the state government to ensure the implementation of the subsisting ban on their movements in day time to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and properties.
“We are tired of the daily loss of innocent lives caused by these trucks. Even if one will die, should it not be a decent death? Can you imagine the pain of a death caused by a falling container? It’s becoming almost an every week incident these days and we are not sure if the governor and others in authorities still reside in this same Lagos. Their silence to these weekly tragedies is deafening and we are not even sure of the next victim”, a resident in one of the accident scenes told TNG.
“Some of those truck drivers don’t even have licences. They just learn driving for a few weeks and automatically become experts driving the nooks and crannies of the state and country. They intentionally block and drag the road with other drivers and cause avoidable accidents. Most times, the containers on the trucks are not latched and left to swerve back and forth till it eventually falls and causes unexplainable havoc”, a commercial driver who spoke with TNG in Lagos shared his experience with truck drivers.
Another resident said: “I dread the sight of those terrible trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. The drivers are either too young and inexperienced or drunk. They drive with so much confidence like they have a double life. I sometimes park to allow them have their way when I see them approaching. We have lost uncountable lives to their excesses and the solution is still not in place.”
TNG recalls some of the most recent and emotional cases of wasted lives to the menace of falling container in Lagos…
Chidinma Ajoku and Chima Nnaekpe
When 27 year-old Chidinma Ajoku and 29 year-old Chima Nnaekpe left their homes on that fateful Sunday of July 26, they could not have any inkling whatsoever that it was going to be their last day on earth. If they had known, they would have resisted the temptation to step out of their homes. Both staffers of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigerian (FAAN), they left for work and were returning home in the evening when the unfortunate incident that sent them to their early graves happened.
The two were in a commercial bus heading home from work at Ilasamaja when a 20-feet container fell off a flat-bed truck and landed on the vehicle they were in. It was a terrible sight to behold. Needless to say that both died on the spot.
However, the late Chidinma’s mother, Chineze Ajoku, a widow who takes regular consolation in the bright future of her daughter who had gained admission for her MBA at a British university and had deferred till next year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic is seeking justice for her daughter. She wants her daughter’s death to be last in the series of innocent lives wasted by the carelessness of some unlicensed truck drivers who most times escape the horrible deaths they subject their victims to. But unfortunately her wish is yet to be fulfilled as the killer truck drivers are still very much on Lagos roads.
This is Chidinma Ajoku’s mum. Deedee recently died because a container fell on the car she was in. Enough is enough ! It’s time to get these tankers and trailers off the road! It’s time to get justice. We can’t keep quiet and allow people to keep dying and suffering due to useles pic.twitter.com/COEbXHHXuk
— Mine (@minnss__) July 30, 2020
Immaculate Okochu, Bride-to-be crushed to death
It was a black Wednesday on the 12th of August 2020 as beautiful Immaculate Okochu, was crushed to death by a truck while heading to work in Lagos.
The Assistant Manager at the Cold Stone Creamery was said to have boarded a commercial motorcycle in a bid to beat the traffic, but a trailer rammed into them, crushing her.
Immaculate, who had her wedding introduction in March and was set to marry in October, was rushed to a nearby hospital, but later died.
40-foot container falls on two women
Another sad incident of falling container happened on Friday, August 21 at Odo-Olowu Bus Stop, Ijesha, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos. The container fell off the attached truck crushing two young women to death instantly.
The incident, it was gathered, happened around 10.45 p.m. on that fateful day. Confirming the incident, the Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said the truck, loaded with an empty 40-foot container, suddenly suffered brake failure and rammed into a stationary truck, and the container fell off. However, the driver of the ill-fated truck was rescued by LASEMA personnel, who took the injured man to a hospital. “Sadly, two adult females lost their lives and their remains have been transported by State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, to the mortuary,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
We’ll do everything possible to rid killer trucks off Lagos roads – Gov Sanwo-Olu
Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised to put adequate measures in place to secure the roads from the menace of falling containers.
The governor spoke early this month when a state delegation, led by the Attorney General & Commissioner of Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), visited the bereaved family.
The governor who reacted via his official twitter handle @jidesanwoolu said:
Their deaths are totally avoidable, and we take responsibility for this sad incident. The onus is now on us to enforce stricter and more stringent laws in order to put a total stop to these type of unfortunate incidents. pic.twitter.com/rF589kfOUE
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) August 6, 2020
I deeply sympathize with the families, and I pray that God grants them strength during this period.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN represented me and @followlasg on a condolence visit to the families, and relayed my message to them.
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) August 6, 2020
We will ensure the departed & their families get the justice they deserve.
I have also charged the commissioner of Police to ensure a thorough investigation, and instructed the AG to lead the prosecution of this case and ensure that justice is served appropriately and swiftly.
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) August 6, 2020