Many escape death as truck plunges into BRT terminal in Oshodi

Scene of the accident. Photo: Vanguard

ROADSIDE traders, hawkers transporters and commuters, roadside traders and hawkers yesterday, escaped death when an empty truck overturned and fell into the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, terminal in Oshodi.

It was gathered that the trailer with number plate, KTU 437 XU, heading towards Mile 2 at about 1 pm reportedly developed a mechanical fault while descending Oshodi bridge.

An eye witness said he was heading to the BRT terminal when the incident occurred, adding: “Some parts of Oshodi was flooded as a result of the downpour and I was heading to the terminal when I saw people running. Thank God it was under control.”

The prompt intervention of emergency responders prevented further damages.

Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident, saying: “A distress call was received from Director of Operations, LASTMA, about an empty trailer that plunged into the above location.

“The agency team at the main base immediately activated the LASEMA response plan and moved to the incident scene.

“On arrival at the scene of the incident, the LRT discovered a trailer with number plate, KTU 437 XU, overturned due to mechanical fault (brake failure) while descending the bridge and fell into the BRT terminal, thereby obstructing the axis,”

As at 4.30 pm, he said no casualty was recorded.

“The agency team and LASTMA are joint responders making efforts to evacuate the impediment off the road. Operations ongoing,” he added.

Tanker explosion: Lagos vows to prosecute tanker's owner

Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, yesterday, said the owner of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, tanker, which exploded Thursday night, in Lagos, will be prosecuted.

Director-General of the agency, Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, also said efforts were on to fish out the truck owner.  

It would be recalled that a full loaded LPG tanker suddenly exploded around midnight last Thursday at Maryland, inward Ikeja, along Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way of the state, claiming five lives and several vehicles running into millions of naira razed in the process.

The inferno, which occurred at about 11.45 pm at Ikeja, infront of Sheraton Hotel and Opic Plaza, was later put out by men of the Lagos- State Fire Rescue Services and men of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, LASEMA, Nigeria Police and other emergency responders.

The truck driver and motor boy were said to have immediately taken to their heels with their whereabouts unknown.  

However, the director general said the state government would intensify effort to apprehend the truck owner and charge for contravening safety rules.  

Oker-Osanyintolu said: “Since the whereabouts of the truck driver and motor boy are still unknown, we are doing an underground work to fish out the owner of the truck, who will be prosecuted for failure to observe safety measures on the truck.

“It is not enough to put a vehicle on the road but the responsibility lies on you to put it in order so that it does not portend danger on the road to other users."

Similarly, Oke-Osanyintolu said the fire that trailed the leakage from the tanker erupted from the kitchen of the Chinese Restaurant located at the Ogun State Property Investment Corporation, OPIC, Plaza where other offices were equally burnt.

He said: “Close investigation revealed that the leaking cooking gas from the truck was ignited by the exposed fire from the kitchen of the New Chinese restaurant inside OPIC Plaza.

“As a result of wind action, the whole area of OPIC structure was engulfed with fire. The fire trailed the cooking gas resulting in the combustion of the gas tanker outside the compound.”

He added that the inferno from the explosion resulted in several damage to the OPIC Plaza building structure.

The LASEMA boss, however, exonerated the owner of the restaurant from any blame, saying the truck driver should carry the bulk of the blame for failure to comply with safety rules on Lagos roads.  

“Let us not blame the owner of the restaurant but the truck driver because the inferno would not have been recorded without the gas leakage from the truck,” he added.

Agboju Market: FHA explained reason for demolition

MANAGING Director of Federal Housing Authority, FHA, Sanator Gbenga Ashafa,  has explained that demolition of illegal structures in Festac Town which affected Agboju Plank market is for restructuring of the area.

Ashafa, who was represented by FHA South-West Zonal Manager, Mr. Akintola Olagbemiro, at a stakeholders’ meeting on the restoration of Festac Town, organised by FHA, said the government took the action to ensure proper survey that corresponds with Festac’s master plan and to allow the real allottees possess their property. 

The FHA boss explained that the demolition of illegal structures was not done to target religious organisations or any group, as it was being speculated. But it was meant to give way for dredging of the canal and dislodging of illegal occupants.

He said in 2020, there was a petition to the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, about illegal structures that had taken over Festac Town.  

Sanator Gbenga Ashafa

According to Olagbemiro, “This year, we commenced the restoration of Festac town following the consent judgement from the court against illegal occupants of Festac land. Our action is to save the residents from the insecurity that has taken over the entire Festac as a result of illegal structures everywhere.

“Last Sunday, we started the implementation of the second phase of the consent judgement, which was for clearing the illegal structures within the buffer zones along the Second Avenue as well as the expressway.

“Before then, we had implemented the first phase of the judgement, which was to dredge the canal along the buffer.

“This will allow the clearance of the way to proper survey and development of parcels of land along this axis in accordance with the master plan,” he said.

“We want to inform you that we will sustain this operation until the lost glory of Festac Town is restored. No amount of blackmail will stop us from achieving this goal,” he said.

He advised those on the Right of Way with valid approvals to bring their papers to FHA to take appropriate action.

Some of the residents who spoke with press said lack of sustainable action in the past worsened the environmental and security challenges in the community.

Likewise, Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Mr. Valentine Buraimoh, said: “FHA should quickly look for a way forward so that the rightful owners can be handed over their property with the condition stipulated that they either develop or lose it.

“You have to be very cautious with security in FESTAC and if you don’t want to sit on a gun powder, that area should quickly be handed over to the owners for development,” he said.

The chairman of allottees of First Gate to Third Gate, Mr. Kole Olatunji, in his remarks, said the land from First Gate to Third Gate was allocated between 1985 and 1999, adding that with the consent judgement, original owners of the land as allocated should take over their plots.

Buraimoh denied allegations by some protesters who claimed they paid revenue to the council for their shops and makeshift stalls.

Mr. Shola Fakorede, president of Festac Town Resident Association (FTRA) said if any group or stakeholder was aggrieved by the recent development, it should be the allotees, whose property had been encroached on for almost 30 years.

He urged the management of the FHA to secure the property and also furnish the FTRA with the information of all the allottees so they could reach out to the families of those who are late to ensure they take possession to avoid a repetition,

Last week the plank traders from the market protested against the demolition saying that they were given short notice without alternative.

Baba Ijesha arraigned, remanded in prison custody

A Yaba Chief Magistrates Court, has remanded popular Nollywood actor, James Olanrewaju, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, in prison custody, pending his proper arraignment before a high court that has jurisdiction to handle his trial.

Baba Ijesha

Magistrate Peter Nwaka gave the ruling, when the Baba Ijesha matter came up before him.

Already, the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions has filed a five-count charge on sexual assault against him before the High Court

Chief Magistrate Oluwatoyin Oghre initially granted him bail on May 16, 2021 on the condition of providing two sureties.  

Omiyinka was formally arraigned before the court, yesterday, to answer to rape charges, following the suspension of a month-long industrial action by judicial workers.

The Magistrate stated that the magistrate court has no jurisdiction to rule on the bail because the Lagos State government has filed the case at the High Court.

Baba Ijesha was brought into the premises of the magistrate court around 12 pm, and amongst other suspects.  

The court clerk read out five-count charges of indecent treatment of a child, defilement of a child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault-which contravened Sections 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.  

The actor pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.  

In his ruling, Mr. Nwaka said: “This is a situation of lack of jurisdiction, because once a case is filed at an upper court, the lower court, being the magistrate in this case, ceases to have jurisdiction over the same matter.  

“I have carefully considered the application of the counsel to the defendant seeking bail for the defendant and the opposition by the counsel from the DPP.  

“Since there are indications that the matter is before the high court and the defendant will appear before the court, no bail can be given.  

“The defendant must be accorded full medical attention by the authorities pending his arraignment at the high court.”

The magistrate, however, adjourned the matter till July 13 for mention.

Culled from Vanguard