The reports that state that one of its officials forced a commercial driver to commit suicide after having his car impounded has been refuted by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Social media users began to share reports of a commercial driver who was hanging from a rope fastened to a tree in an estate along the Lagos-Shagamu motorway in Lagos.
The victim allegedly committed suicide after his car was seized. LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki refuted allegations on social media suggesting that agency agents had impounded the deceased’s car in a statement that was made public.
According to Bakare Oki, the body was found by bystanders early on Thursday, July 11, 2004, and was reported to the police at Shagamu Road right away.
‘’Several speculations were made by sympathisers present at the scene. Some said he was dressed like a motorcyclist (Okada rider), while some speculated he was a tricyclist (Marwa rider). Some even believed he was brought to the scene by his killers during the wee hours of midnight, and stage managed it to give it the semblance of suicide because the victim’s leg was touching the ground.
For the sake of clarity, none of the several Okada and Marwa operators who attended the scene could truly identify him as an Okada or Marwa rider.
Bakare Oki expressed regret that the event happened outside an estate gate on the Lagos-Shagamu Motorway.
The General Manager condoled with the relatives of the deceased while cautioning anyone circulating false information to double-check the material before sharing it.
He encouraged the public to use the Agency’s recently operational toll-free call centre, 08000527862, for any clarification regarding traffic-related matters, with a special emphasis on drivers.
In the meantime, the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) in Yaba, Lagos, removed the deceased’s body.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli