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Otedola bridge inferno LASG poise for justice

Published

6 years ago

July 26, 2018

Olu Emmanuel

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By Lanre Adesanya

The Lagos State Government in an attempt to give respite to the families of those who lost loved ones and valuables in the unfortunate June 28 sudden inferno on Otedola bridge, which led to an untimely death of 12 individuals, has officially empowered the police to see to the arrest and relocation of the truck owner back to the state to face the law.

The Commissioner for Transportation Mr. Ladi Lawanson, made revealed the poise of the state government to thoroughly see to it that justice is done on the matter.

Speaking at a parley with victims and relatives of the deceased, Lawanson hinted that the owner of the ill fated tanker that led to the 55 vehicles burnt registered in Nasarawa on 24th of April 2017,one Hassan Yusuf Maiwaka.

“Road users attitude in Lagos need improvement, it is needful for the Transportation and the Information and Strategy ministries collaborate on advocacy and sensitization lots of this could be prevented.

“It is an incidents too many for Lagos State having put all measures in place to ensure road worthiness,the government made available an auto magnetic device assisted us to trace the VIN number of each vehicle through the 55 vehicles via their chassis number.

“We have written letter through the state Commissioner of Police to bring the man from Kano to Lagos for justice.

Iginius Omejei representing the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC),noted that their collaboration with other emergency salvaging agencies is not in doubt.

The Vehicle Inspection Service Director Engineer Abdulhafis Toriola noted that, “39 vehicles out of the 55 vehicles burnt were registered in Lagos,which afford us the ease to get their real owners, we also got the picture of the said vehicles prior to the inferno.

“I urge Lagosians anytime you are registering vehicles in Lagos afford us your details, to ensure easy trace in case of any unexpected incident.

He also noted that some foreign currency notes, documents,passports and ATM cards were retrieved which were immediately reeled out for their owners to claim, Mrs.Omolara Oyedeji in whose car a Kia Cerato car the foreign currency notes was found was asked to come up for claim,same goes for one Okedara, Olubunmi Olatunji owner of a Toyota Camry car, Ndubuisi Nwanchukwu owner of a Lexus Jeep also claim his ATM and other documents.

The most pathetic situation was that of a man whose wife and daughter were according to him 52 percent burnt, he made a plea for state intervention to help facilitate a mobile capture machine alleged only available in Abuja be brought to Lagos so as to easily facilitate the movement of his seven years old daughter abroad for proper care, as she cannot make the journey in her present condition.

Some of the victims who gave their views, Keth Okumagba owner of a vehicle numbered 12 on the list stated that her driver a father of four was caught up in the inferno.

Mrs. Yetunde Ilori Director General of Nigeria Insurance Association cited that the state has not made a case on the matter, but promised that they will influence their members to do the needful once informed for the case of those who had insurance policies amidst the owners of burnt vehicles.