• Lagos shuts down school, FRSC claims only 2 died, 14 injured
President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with parents, relations, and friends of Ojodu Grammar School students who lost their lives in an accident, on Tuesday, along Isheri Road, Ojodu, in Lagos State.
Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser to on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also condoled with the government and people of Lagos State and the authorities of Ojodu Grammar School, over the sad and painful loss of the promising lives that were cut short in the tragic incident.
President Buhari prayed that the Almighty God will comfort the grieving parents and relations at this very difficult time, and grant the injured quick recovery.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also expressed deep sorrow over the students who were crushed to death by a truck driver, on Tuesday.
In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, yesterday, Sanwo-Olu described the demise of the students as sad, unfortunate, and avoidable.
The governor sympathised with families of the bereaved students, their relatives, friends, management, and staff of Ojodu Grammar school.
He said: “I commiserate with the parents, management, staff, and students of Ojodu Grammar School over this unfortunate death of our students, whose lives were cut short by a truck driver yesterday.
“The sad incident has left me devastated since yesterday, because it is terrible to hear about the death of innocent children, especially in a clearly avoidable circumstance like what happened yesterday.
“As a parent, words cannot express how shattered I was when I learnt about the incident. No one’s life, including those vibrant students, who were returning from where they had gone to learn for a better future, deserved to be ended in that manner.
“My deepest sympathies go out to their parents. I pray that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“Our prayers are also with the survivors, who are receiving treatment at the hospitals.
“We have immediately ordered that the affected schools be shut down till January, while investigations are ongoing. The erring driver has also been arrested.”
Meanwhile, speaking on the matter on a national television programme, yesterday, Sector Commander of Lagos Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Olusegun Ogungbemide, said only two students died in the incident and that 14 others were injured.
He said about four of the injured students had been discharged from a hospital at Ojota.
Ogungbemide said the FRSC had no bearing, whatsoever, with the vehicle involved in the crash as no patrol activity by officials of the Commission was going on along that corridor when the incident happened.
Also, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Bolaji Oreagba, has categorically disowned allegations that officials of the agency were involved in the unfortunate truck accident.
Oreagba averred that” from the reports we received on the incidence, the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle, probably because of mechanical reasons. The police are investigating the matter; the public should await their report.
“LASTMA does not have a traffic management duty post around the accident scene and all patrol personnel had reported back to base for the daily parade as at the time the accident occurred, leaving only those at their traffic management posts,”
Oreagba noted.
