The Airport Police Command has arrested a driver of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Adewale Abiodun, over a fatal accident involving a 19-year-old female pedestrian at Ikeja Bus Stop in Lagos.
A statement on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Airport Command, Lagos, Mohammed Adeola, said that the suspect, a driver of an Ashok Leyland LAMATA bus with the registration number MUS 139 YL, had hit the female pedestrian at the bus stop last Friday shortly after she alighted from a bus and was proceeding towards the airport.
The statement indicated that the driver, immediately after hitting the victim, fled the scene, while efforts by passers-by to save her proved abortive, as she was brought in dead (BID) to the Air Force Base Hospital at Ikeja.
According to the statement, upon receiving the report of the incident, the Airport Police Command proceeded to the hospital, where medical personnel confirmed that the victim had died on arrival due to severe injuries sustained from the collision.
In response, the command’s police promptly commenced investigations and launched a coordinated manhunt for the fleeing driver.
In the course of its investigation, the command engaged LAMATA to aid in tracking the suspect and establishing accountability.
The statement added, “As a result of this collaboration, the driver was identified, located, and subsequently brought to the Domestic Police Division, Airport Command, by officials of LAMATA.
“The suspect, identified as Mr Adewale Abiodun, has since been taken into police custody and has made a statement in respect of the incident, as investigations continue.”
Speaking on the issue, the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Dr Olufunke Ogunbode, described the accident as a grave and unfortunate loss of life.
She maintained that the command would ensure that justice was served, vowing that acts of negligence and reckless driving on public roads would not be condoned.
She insisted that offenders would be made to face the full weight of the law.
Ogunbode further urged motorists and pedestrians to remain vigilant and comply strictly with traffic regulations, stressing that collective responsibility is essential to preventing avoidable tragedies on the roads.
The statement explained that the suspect would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of ongoing investigations into the accident.
