Crime

How Soldier was Killed by Truck in Lagos Amidst Driver’s Escape from Extortionists

Published by Tope Fakinlede on May 26th, 2024.

How Soldier was Killed by Truck in Lagos Amidst Driver’s Escape from Extortionists

LAGOS, Nigeria – On Tuesday, May 22, 2024, a soldier tragically lost his life after being struck by a truck at the Orile bus stop in Iganmu, Lagos. The truck, owned by a logistics company, hit the soldier as the driver attempted to flee from extortionists targeting commercial vehicles.

Eyewitnesses reported that the driver, seemingly unaware of the gravity of the accident, drove away recklessly. In response, fellow soldiers who witnessed the incident pursued the truck and managed to apprehend it at the Mile 2 bus stop. However, the truck’s conductor escaped capture.

Shola James, a trader at Orile, described the horrific scene: “The truck’s back tyre crushed the soldier’s head. I couldn’t bear to look at the body again,” she recounted. Another witness, a vulcanizer, added that the soldier was on his motorcycle when he was hit, resulting in his immediate death.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, explained the police’s role following the incident. “After the accident, the DPO of Orile Police Station and his team arrived at the scene and found the soldier’s body. The soldiers later returned with the truck and its driver but took them, along with the soldier’s body, back to their barracks,” he said.

As of now, the driver of the truck has not been handed over to the police, leaving uncertainties about the next steps in addressing this tragic event.