The husband of an evangelist at a church in the Ijoko area of Ogun State, Segun Adebambo, and a trader, Saka Nasiru, were killed on Monday after a train crashed into a truck in the Pen Cinema area of Lagos.
Adebambo, a father of five who worked at the Computer Village, Ikeja, was said to have boarded the train at the Ikeja Along bus stop en route to his house in Ijoko, Ogun State, while Nasiru’s destination had yet to be ascertained.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victims had hanged onto the door of the train before the journey turned bloody around 9pm.
The truck was reportedly coming from the Abattoir area and rammed into the train. The deceased were said to have fallen from the train, which dragged the truck a few feet before it stopped. The victims were crushed in the process.
Our correspondent learnt that the conductor of the truck was also injured and rushed to a hospital, while the driver was in police custody at the Railway Police Station.
Our correspondent who visited the scene of the accident in Pen Cinema on Tuesday saw blood traces and effects of the victims, while the truck had been moved to the front of the station.
Segun’s wife, the evangelist, who was in tears at the scene of the incident, declined to speak to PUNCH Metro.
While lamenting the husband’s death, she said in Yoruba, “Baba Ibeji! Is this the consequence of my preaching? Was I supposed to suffer this kind of fate with all my worship to God. Was God not ought to have saved my husband’s life because of the anointing I give people? He was coming from the Computer Village where he worked. How do I take care of five children alone, Jesus?”
An eyewitness, Debo Arisekola, said an official of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority had flagged down the truck, but the driver ignored him.
He said, “A LASTMA official controlling the traffic in the area signaled the driver to stop, but he refused. He nearly crushed him (the official). Because the train barrier was not pulled down, he wanted to quickly cross the railway line. The train, however, hit the truck and dragged it a few feet before it stopped.
“Two persons hanging on the train were crushed after they fell. I had to leave the scene because the sight was gory.”
A commercial tricyclist, Deji Awoyemi, said traders hawking by the railway line were nearly crushed. He added that the hawkers had been told to vacate the area.
Another eyewitness, a commercial driver, who identified himself only as Ibrahim, said the deaths were avoidable.
“People have been warned to stop hanging on trains, but they won’t listen. Ironically, wads of naira were found on the victims. It is not as if they don’t have money,” he said.
In a related development, a head-on collision on the Ajah-Epe Expressway between a trailer, conveying a earth moving machine, and an 18-seater bus killed four persons and left others injured around 9am on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the bus, which belonged to Young Shall Grow Transport Company, crashed into the trailer while trying to overtake it.
Security and emergency management agencies were said to have been sent to the area to manage the gridlock caused by the incident. The identities of the victims had yet to be ascertained.
A shop owner, who witnessed the accident, Taiwo Giwa, described it as brutal, saying “a lot of persons died, but I don’t know the actual number.”
The General Manager of LASEMA, Mr. Michael Akindele, urged the public to desist from acts that could cause untimely deaths.
He said, “The accident in Pen Cinema resulted in the death of two passengers said to have been hanging on the train. Their corpses have been taken to the Mainland General Hospital Mortuary. The identity cards found on the victims revealed that they were traders. It is time people stopped from hanging on the train. We should appreciate life.”
The Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasaq Fadipe, and LASTMA’s spokesperson, Mrs. Bola Ajao confirmed Ajah accident to PUNCH Metro.
Ajao said, “Three persons died on the spot, while another one later died at the Epe General Hospital.
“The trailer was carrying a earth moving machine while the commuter bus, belonging to Young Shall Grow was trying to overtake it. It resulted in a collision and it took a combined effort of LASTMA and other agencies before the bus could be removed.”
No comments:
Post a Comment