Pandemonium in Lagos as tanker crushes 3 okada riders

There was pandemonium in the Ikotun area of Lagos State on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, when a petrol tanker crushed three okada riders after its brake failed.

The incident led to the untimely death of no less than one person, and also left several others injured.

It was gathered that the tanker, with number plate JJJ 125, was descending a sloppy section of the road inward at Ikotun Market when its brake failed.

According to an eyewitness, Dare Samson, the vehicle driver lost control when he got to the Synagogue Church end of the road.

He said, “Tricycle operators usually make a U-turn shortly after the Synagogue Church back to Egbe. By the time the affected tricycles were about to drop off their passengers, the tanker driver, who had lost control of the vehicle when he got to Synagogue, rammed into them.”

Another eyewitness, Mojisola Ajisafe, who also spoke on the incident, said the driver was not speeding when the incident happened.

“I was on the other side of the road when the tanker was heading towards the traffic light. No one thought the brake had failed as it was not moving fast; the fatalities would have been more than this. Four people were quickly pulled out of the tricycles, including a pregnant woman who was unconscious; she was taken to a hospital,” Ajisafe added.

Confirming the accident, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq said officers of the agency handed over those rescued to the police, who took them to a general hospital for treatment.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that the fully loaded container tanker (JJJ 125) had a brake failure and crushed three tricycles by a valley around Synagogue Church when going towards Ikotun.

“The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency immediately moved the tanker with those crushed tricycles to the Ikotun Police Station.

“Other emergency responders, including the Nigeria police from the Ikotun Police Station, were at the scene of the accident,” Taofiq was quoted as saying in a statement.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, however, warned tanker owners and drivers to always ensure that their trucks are properly checked and in good condition before embarking on any journey.