Buhari, Sanwo-Olu Mourn Students Killed by Trailer in Lagos

Deji Elumoye in Abuja and
Segun James in Lagos

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have commiserated with parents, relations and friends of the Ojodu Grammar School students,who lost their lives on Tuesday in an auto accident along Isheri Road, Ojodu, in Lagos State.

The President, yesterday, in a release by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, also condoled with government and people of Lagos State and the authorities of the school over the sad and painful loss of the promising lives that were cut short in the tragic incident.

Buhari, however, prayed that the Almighty God would comfort the grieving parents and relations at this difficult time, and grant the injured quick recovery.

On his part, Sanwo-Olu, who expressed sorrow over the incident, also sympathised with families of the bereaved students, their relatives, friends, management and staff of the school.

In a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Sanwo-Olu described the death of the students as sad, unfortunate and avoidable.

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,” he prayed.

Sanwo-Olu hinted that had immediately ordered that the affected schools be shut down till January, while investigations are ongoing. The erring driver has also been arrested.”

Meanwhile, the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authourity (LASTMA), Bolaji Oreagba, has disowned the allegation that officials of the agency were involved in the unfortunate truck accident, saying such insinuation was “unsubstantiated.”

According to Oreagba, “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”.

He said LASTMA did not have a traffic management duty post around the accident scene, adding that 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.

The general manager further said in the various unconfirmed reports, not only LASTMA as an agency was fingered but some other government traffic control agencies and wondered how all the agencies would be in pursuit of one truck, a truck that could be apprehended at a later date, if it had committed any traffic infraction.