A bike-hailing service rider, John Abanna, has met a tragic end in the hands of an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and a commercial bus driver.
Abanna was knocked down by the bus at Apogbon, Lagos Island, while the LASTMA official was reportedly dragging the steering wheel with the Danfo driver.
City Round learnt that two officials had flagged down the driver along the road on Saturday for violating a traffic law.
In an attempt to evade arrest, the driver reportedly made to zoom off but one of the officials pounced on his steering wheel.
Our correspondent gathered that as they were struggling the steering wheel with each other, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it rammed into Abanna’s motorcycle. The rider died on the spot.
Angered by the incident, some youths reportedly took on the officials who fled the scene and headed for their office along Funsho Williams Avenue, Iponri, – a few kilometres away.
An eyewitness, who identified himself only as Tolu, told City Round that the angry youths stormed the agency’s office in Iponri and vandalised some vehicles.
He said, “Some LASTMA officials wanted to arrest a Danfo driver at Apogbon for a traffic offence but he resisted arrest. One of them started struggling the steering wheel with the driver who was not ready to surrender.
“The driver wanted to zoom off not knowing a rider was right beside the bus. As the rider tried to pass, the vehicle veered and knocked him off the motorcycle. He hit his head on the floor and died on the spot.
“The LASTMA officials fled but some ‘boys’ chased them to their office in Iponri and vandalised some vehicles. Some of the officials quickly changed their uniform to mufti.”
Tolu said police from the Iponri division later came to disperse the crowd and restored normalcy.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Mr Olumide Filade, howver, denied that the officials were responsible for the crash.
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