Driver injures cyclist and runs, but gets arrested by Police

Sympathizers are either too preoccupied with salvaging the health and life of the victim or too shocked to even muster any initiative that will lead to the perpetrator's apprehension.

But with the emergence of technological appliances like phones, the internet and social media, there is a convergence of sufficient mainstays that could led to apprehension and prosecution of dissenters. Pictures can be taken, law enforcement and users all user social media, so more cases get solved. Sometimes, it also happens on rape and other sensitive matters.

That’s exactly what happened around 5:30 pm on February 24, 2018 when a Twitter user, Buki Otuyemi reported the case of a hit-and-run which happened on Eko bridge descending inwards to Akpongbon via her Twitter account @Survivor17.

An unknown driver of a Toyota Camry saloon car, with his number plates publicized allegedly hit a cyclist and made a run for it.

Interestingly, she was not even meant to take that route, but she might have ended up aiding the law just because it happened, she writes, “That wasn’t even our route. I wasn’t going to take that route but I guess life works in a mysterious way. Ko ye mi mo o (I don’t quite understand). How can a person be so mean and without conscience?”

Otuyemi typed, “Omg. A car just ran a cyclist over and didn’t stop. We are chasing him. #LSD803EH Toyota Camry. I’m shaking. We couldn’t reverse to help the cyclist. So we are chasing this murderous f***r. He knows we are hot on his heels. Wish there’s a number I can call to join in chasing and nabbing his cruel ass. My God!!!”

The empathetic Otuyemi, while chasing the car owner, then took the initiative of taking pictures with her phone, revealing the number plates and the color of the vehicle, all the while tweeting about it on a thread she created.

She then tweeted about her worry for the cyclist, “I just want to know the cyclist is alright. I saw him swerve and dodge before he went down.

“If that fool had stopped, we would have stopped too but he zoomed off and we chased him cos we couldn’t reverse to assist the cyclist. I don’t even know again. I try not to let things get to me but witnessing stuff like this is very painful. I was upset and furious enough to cry. How can you hit a whole human being and not stop to check if he’s ok? Nobody woulda lynched him at that time. People would have stopped to help sef but no!”

Like all of us, Otuyemi lamented the state of things in Nigeria, “Can’t help crying Y’all know how to f**k with my head in this god*mn country. How cruel? Totally avoidable. The blood of the innocent bays for justice always hence our sad plight. I’m tired. I called 112 and reported his a**. I hope the catch him. Wicked animal. I hope they check on the cyclist too. Gosh. What a way to start a new week.”

At the end of the thread, she then writes about how the driver had been caught. The news has since been confirmed by Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP Tunji Disu via his Twitter account, @TujiDisu1.

The driver’s identity, however, remains unknown. However, Pulse will bring you updates as they come in.