Ojuelegba tragedy: Truck owner in court for manslaughter

By IFEOMA IKEM

The Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Oyigbo, Ebute-Metta has charged the owner of the truck whose container fell and killed three people at Ojuelegba, Lagos, on September 2, 2015,

Mr. Kilani Ojo Adesanya, was on Tuesday, charged on two count of given the truck to a driver without driving documents.‬

The 50-year old man, was arraigned before the court by the men of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of Lagos state Police Command, Panti-Yaba, Lagos. ‬

The truck owner was alleged have permitted Wasiu Adeleke to drive his truck marked EPE 46 XK, without a valid driver’s license issued to him by the appropriate authority. ‬

He was also alleged to have gave the truck to the driver to drive on the highway without MOT test certificate, road worthiness certificate, and vehicle license issued in respect of the truck by the appropriate authority. ‬

The offences, according to the prosecutors Barrister Godwin O. Osuyi, and Inspector Chinalu Nwadiowe, are contrary to and punishable under sections 36(1 &2) of Road Traffic Laws of Lagos state, 2012.‬

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charges.‬

‪Upon the plea of the accused, his lawyer, Mr. W. O. Toriola urged the court to admit him bail on self recognition.‬

He hinged the bail application on the premise that the accused is a senior citizen of the country without any criminal record.‬

However, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A. Folashade Botoku, queried the leading prosecutor, Barrister Osuyi, for not informing the court of the sister case, in which the driver of the truck was charged before the court, and for not asking for the consolidation of the two cases.‬

Consequently, the Chief Magistrate, adjourned the matter till September 23, for ruling on the bail application.‬

It would be recalled that the driver of the truck, Wasiu Adeleke, was arraigned before the court last Friday, on 11 count charges of multiple manslaughters.‬

The names of those that were killed by the container according to the police include; Abubakar Sule, 52; Umaru Sulaiman, 46; and Kamilu Umaru, 28 after the trailer he was driving fell off the Ojuelegba bridge with its content killing three people.‬