… Vandalized valuable items including vehicles inside Lastma yard, mob attempt to lynch policeman.

Protests on Tuesday at Ago-Palace way, near Okota area of Lagos State, on October 3, 2023, was as a result of a driver who  drove against traffic, has caused the death of a pregnant woman and a tricycle operator. The incident occurred at about 0800hrs, at Bayo Oyewale Street.

The protesters reportedly attacked uniform men at sight and vandalised valuable items including vehicles parked within the yard of Lagos Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). There were conflicting accounts of what led to the incident.

According to an account, the accident involved a Toyota sienna car which violated traffic rules at Ago roundabout and in the process of Enforcement, the driver escaped with a Mobile policeman seated in the car.

It was learnt that the Mobile policeman was attached to LASTMA as at the time of the incident.

According to a report gathered, as the driiver was escaping arrest, the vehicle ran into the tricycle popularly known as Keke Marwa thereby recording casualties including the expectant mother and tricyclist.

The policeman also sustained injuries while the scene attracted a mob who vent their anger on the policeman beating him to a pulp but some members of Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), were said to have attempted to rescue the policeman until the scene became threatened and were advised to vacate the scene.

The scene attracted some protests which were later hijacked by hoodlums who took the advantage to vandalise property in the area just as vehicular activities were disrupted for hours.

For more clarification, LASTMA Spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement, confirmed the casualties. “Operatives of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) disclosed that a driver apprehended for driving in a direction prohibited by Law (One-way) today killed a tricyle operator, pregnant woman and injured two school children around Okota axis of the State.

“Traffic Officer, Hassan Kehinde of Zone 27, Okota who led the LASTMA patrol team disclosed that a driver of a blue TOYOTA Sienna bus (AKD 944 HN) was apprehended for driving against traffic (One-way) around Ago Palace Way, Lagos.

” He disclosed further that a Policeman attached to the patrol team volunteered to escort the apprehended vehicle to LASTMA office for proper booking.

“On their way, and in an attempt by the driver to escape, he diverted into Bayo Oyewale Street by Ago round-about and rammed into a fully loaded tricycle”

“While the tricycle operator died instantly, the pregnant woman later died at the Hospital while the two injured school shildren were currently, under Intensive Care Unit” receiving medical attention, LASTMA Kehinde further added.

The escort Police man in the contravened vehicle equally sustained various degrees of injury as a result of the fatal auto crash.

” LASTMA Kehinde confirmed that the incident sparked off protests as irate mob descended on the policeman but with the timely intervention of a team of Policemen from Ago/ Okota/Ilasa Police Stations saved the Policeman from being lynched.

” LASTMA yard was invaded and valuable items vandalized including vehicles within the premises.

“It is note worthy to mention that in an attempt to escape, the driver of the Sienna car lost control as a result of reckless driving which eventually resulted into the fatal accident”

The management of the agency commiserate with the families of the deceased ,and assured that thorough investigation will be carried out to determine the immediate and remote cause of the accident,and that  justice will be served appropriately.

Reacting, Spokesperson, Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin wrote on his verified Tweeter page, “This ugly incident happened when a driver fleeing from LASTMA officials who accosted him for driving against traffic ran into a tricycle. Unfortunately, two persons have been confirmed dead, while two children are currently receiving treatment in hospital.

“The policeman attached to the LASTMA team was severely attacked and grievously wounded by an angry mob. He is unconscious and currently being treated in hospital.

” Police backup teams immediately deployed to the scene have since restored normalcy in the area.

” Investigation has commenced into the incident.”  He added.

ARREST OF TRAILER MECHANIC/SUSPECTED INTERNET FRAUDSTER WHO SPECIALIZES IN TRANSFERRING FUNDS FROM STOLEN BVN/BANK LINKED SIM CARDS.

Upon intelligence received by the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 2 Command, AIG Ari Mohammed Ali fcia, psc+, that there is a syndicate of young Nigerians who specialize in stealing phones from members of the public and further transferring monies from their BVN/Bank linked SIM cards.

The AIG then detailed operatives of the Zonal Enquiry Bureau to discretely investigate and apprehend the syndicate.  Based on the directive of the AIG one Ogbonnaya Junior Duru ‘m’ was arrested after serious efforts had been made.

According to a statement made available by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 2 Command Hqt Onikan Lagos, SP Hauwa Idris Adamu, who noted that Ogbonnaya Junior Duru ‘m’ who hailed from Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State is a Trailer Mechanic by profession and he has his workshop along Trinity Area of Berger Cement, Apapa Lagos. When he was questioned about his involvement in the alleged crime; he confessed to being introduced to the criminal act by his friend one KAREEM ‘m’ who lives in Ajegunle Area of Apapa Lagos in the year 2019 and he has been in the business of criminality since then.

His Modus Operandi: When other members of the syndicate (Praise ‘m’, Emmanuel ‘m’ and Osaron ‘m’) whose areas of specialization is to steal mobile phones from members of the public either by Pick-Pocket, one-chance robbery and other means have stolen the phones, they bring the SIM cards to Ogbonnaya Junior Duru ‘m’ who finds out which bank(s) is/are the SIM cards linked to, check the account balance, reset the USSD pin and transfer funds from the owner’s account to accounts provided by a member of the syndicate (one Joshua ‘m’ a.k.a. ALERT) currently at Large who takes 20% of the proceed and returns 80% either in cash or transfer to Ogbonnaya Junior Duru ‘m’ who takes 40% of the proceed and delivers 40% to whoever brings the BVN/Bank linked SIM card.

He confessed that there are other suspects who consult him from Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States who later send him consultation fees and that the least he has transferred from an account is One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000:00k) while the maximum he has transferred is One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,400,000:00k).

He added that Joshua ‘m’ (popularly known as ALERT) operates numerous accounts with different banks and as such will make the funds available for sharing the same day; NO DELAYS.When he was interrogated about how many SIM cards he has fraudulently transferred monies from? He said he averagely works on 5-6 sim cards in a week and after the did had been done he returns the sim cards to whoever brought it but he cannot recall the number of sim cards he has transferred money from.

Ogbonnaya Junior Duru ‘m’ listed UNION BANK, FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA, FIDELITY BANK, ECO BANK, WEMA BANK AND STERLING BANK as banks that are difficult for him to transfer monies from while he listed UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA (UBA), FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK (FCMB), POLARIS BANK, ACCESS BANK, GUARANTEE TRUST BANK (GTB) AND STANBIC IBTC BANK as banks very easy for him to transfer from.

Members of the public are hereby advised to beware of these criminal elements in the society and ensure they secure their valuables very well while criminals are warned to relocate from Lagos and Ogun States which form the Zone 2 Command else the long arm of the law will catch up with them soonest.