A
Bus Rapid Transport set ablaze by angry soldiers Friday morning on Ikorodu
Road.
Irate
soldiers went on the rampage on Friday morning at Palmgroove area of Ikorodu
Road in Lagos, western Nigeria, and burnt at least eight BRT-LAG buses and
vandalised 20 others, after their colleague was allegedly crushed to death on a
BRT lane; although a military spokesman on radio claimed that the buses were
burnt by street urchins, also known as area boys.
Witnesses
said two soldiers were on motorcycle, riding on a BRT lane, when they were hit
by a LAGBUS at 9 am, leaving one of them dead and the other slightly injured.
Unconfirmed reports later claimed that none of the soldiers died.
•A
Bus Rapid Transport set ablaze by angry soldiers Friday morning on Ikorodu
Road.
The
soldier who was said to have died, P.M.NEWS learnt, was on the back seat
of the motorcycle when tragedy struck. Small motorcycles are banned from plying
both expressways and BRT lanes in Lagos State.
Witnesses
said the second soldier then rushed to a nearby barracks and mobilised his
colleagues to the accident scene. Immediately the soldiers arrived, they swung
into action, taking laws into their hands and vandalising all the Rapid Transit
Buses in sight.
They
sent passengers and bus drivers scampering for safety as they unleashed their
anger on the buses and spread panic around the area. A female soldier was
captured on camera smashing the windshield of one of the buses.
The
chaos and pandemonium led to traffic snarls with commuter bus drivers turning
back or increasing their fares.
One
of the vandalised buses in LAGBUS fleet
It
was learnt that there was pandemonium in the area when about 100 soldiers
suddenly emerged from the barracks and took over Ikorodu Road and started
unleashing terror on passers-by as many took to their heels to avert being
killed.
The
soldiers blocked the expressway on both sides causing severe traffic gridlock,
while some people abandoned their cars and took to their heels.
Policemen
could not confront the irate soldiers who were well armed and ready to kill
anyone who dared to confront them. Officials of the Lagos State Traffic
Management, LASTMA, had to remove their uniforms to disguise themselves to
avoid being attacked by the angry soldiers.
Drivers
and passengers inside BRT fled as the rampaging soldiers attacked them.
Passengers of smaller buses had to abandon the buses and run for their lives.
In
Fadeyi, signs that this was no ordinary traffic snarl were apparent, as most
BRT and LAGBUSES were damaged. Traffic stretched from Obanikoro to Mile 12 and
thousands of commuters were stranded, watching helplessly as men on military
uniform went on the rampage.
The
entire road was deserted, while commuter buses coming from Ojota refused to
pick passengers to Yaba area as all they avoided Ikorodu road completely.
The
soldiers were said to have beaten up anybody on sight. They beat up drivers and
passengers or anyone who moved close to try to take their pictures.
•Commuters
stranded today following soldiers’ rampage on Ikorodu road, Lagos.
An
eyewitness, who craved anonymity, said two civilians were beaten up and a guy
who was taking pictures was beaten and his phone smashed on the express road.
Some
soldiers were said to have left the expressway and took big sticks from women
cooking by the roadside to break the glasses of the buses. One of the soldiers
took stones and threw them into the crowd twice.
A
LASTMA official, who craved anonymity, told P.M.NEWS a different version
of the story, saying that “there was a broken down vehicle on BRT lane inward
Anthony. Two soldiers were on a motorcycle. They sped and rammed into the
broken down bus and the soldier riding the bike died instantly. The passenger
went to mobilise other soldiers and they took to the streets and pounced on
people.”
He
added that the soldiers vandalised several BRT buses and caused pandemonium on
the expressway leading to serious traffic gridlock.
Commissioner
for Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Aderemi Ibirogba told P.M.NEWS
that it was sad that the soldiers invaded the expressway and unleashed mayhem
on Ikorodu Road, leading to traffic gridlock.
According
to him, the state government was in touch with the military authorities and had
reported the matter and that the military had assured that the situation would
soon be put under control.
“I
can only advise the public to avoid Ikorodu road for now. The military
authorities have assured us that in no time, everything will be under control.
The public should bear with us as we did not plan for this.”
An
eye witness, who identified herself as Mrs Okwo said she saw five BRT buses
being burnt by soldiers and described the situation as pathetic and unpleasant
for the soldiers to have taken laws into their hands.
As
at the time of filing this report, there were no BRT buses on Ikorodu Road as
they have gone to park the vehicles to avoid being burnt by the soldiers.
However,
the Commanding officer of the area was said to have come to the scene and was
able to placate the soldiers to withdraw from the road and salvaged the situation,
but the aftermath of the crisis had already left untold traffic gridlock in the
area which would take a while to disappear.
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