TheCable

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has ordered the prosecution of the driver and owner of the truck involved in the Ojuelegba bridge accident 

The accident, which took place on Sunday, claimed nine lives after a container-laden truck fell on a bus at the Ojuelegba bridge.

Gbenga Omotoso, commissioner for information and strategy, said on Monday that Sanwo-Olu had directed the police to speed up the investigation into the incident.

He also directed the ministry of transportation and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to meet to find a lasting solution to the menace of truck accidents.

The governor also directed that the laws governing the operations of trucks and related vehicles be enforced with more vigor and diligence.

Sanwo-Olu said the incident “showed the irresponsibility of owners and drivers of such articulated vehicles who under the law should care for other road users”.

“The Lagos state government has zero tolerance for large containers that fall off trucks and injure or kill citizens, who are going about their lawful businesses,” the statement reads.

“The driver (Sodiq Okanlawon) and the owner (Wasiu Lekan) of a container which killed three (3) people on July 26, 2020, on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, Ilasamaja, were prosecuted and convicted on February 28, 2022, and sentenced to life imprisonment by Hon. Justice Okikiolu Ighile.

“The state government will, in a similar manner, ensure that the driver and the owner of the truck involved in the January 29th incident are put on trial for the needless death of our dear citizens.  

“This, we hope, will send a strong message to all those who have no regard for other people’s lives that Lagos will not condone their recklessness. They must be stopped, with the strong backing of our laws, because their actions offend our avowed commitment to safety and decency.”

The Lagos state government had earlier said it would install vehicle/truck barriers on the inward and outward sections of the bridge.