By Jesutomi Akomolafe
Three students who were involved in a truck accident that rammed into 17 students at Ogunnusi Road, Grammar School bus stop, Ojodu Berger have been discharged from the hospital.
Mr. Dauda Ajibade, the father of 15-year-old Olarenwaju Ajibade, whose son was placed on oxygen for life support told IkejaBird on Sunday that his son, Olarenwaju is hale and fine and has been discharged from God’s Apple City Hospital.
Dauda also confirmed that 12-year-old Akinkunmi Usain, a JSS1 student of Omole Junior School whose face was affected in the accident and Wisdom Ezejiofor, an SS3A student of Ojodu Grammar School who also sustained bruises on his body, legs and waist have also been discharged.
Dauda said: “We were discharged on Thursday evening. My son is all right now. But they referred us to Ikeja General hospital for further checkup. The hospital refunded the N100, 000 I paid for the initial deposit at the hospital. They also refunded the money others paid. I will be going to Ikeja on Monday for the appointment.”
IkejaBird had reported how an articulated truck rammed into 17 students that were returning from school along Isheri Road, just before the Ojodu Police Station.
According to eyewitnesses, the truck was being chased by Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials before he lost control. The unfortunate incident provoked some bystanders who took laws into their hands by attempting to lynch LASTMA officials and other first responders at the scene, setting the truck on fire.
However, the General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, who reacted to the claims on the involvement of the agency’s staff in the accident in a statement signed by Mr Filade Olumide, Asst Director of Public Affairs, LASTMA, said they were mere allegations that could not be substantiated.
He said: “From the reports we received on the incident, 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 daily parade as at the time the accident occurred leaving only those at their traffic management posts.”
In the statement, Oreagba stressed that in the various unconfirmed reports in some media, not only LASTMA as an agency was mentioned but some other government traffic control agencies and he wondered how all the agencies would be in pursuit of one truck, a truck that could be apprehended at a later date, and that is, if it had committed any traffic infraction.
He added that media reports on the accident were unsubstantiated reports as it may have been written in a bid to break the story.
He also advised journalists to always base reports on fact in order not to engender public distrust before revelation of facts.
“I commiserate with the families of the students that lost their lives and pray for quick recovery for the injured,” he said.
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