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The soldier’s car at the scene of the incident
Pandemonium ensued on Thursday at the Onipanu end of the Ikorodu Road after a Lagbus rammed into a soldier’s car.
The incident, which occurred around 1.30pm, was said to have resulted in a clash between the duo, as the soldier attempted to forcefully take the driver to the barracks.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the Lagbus driver, in the melee that followed, slapped the soldier, while the driver’s colleagues, who helped to overwhelm the officer, deflated his car’s tyre.
It was learnt that the soldier suddenly dashed into the Lagbus and locked the automatic doors.
He was reported to have driven the vehicle through the crowd as people scampered to avoid being crushed.
The vehicle was said to have been taken to the Bonny Camp on the Victoria Island area of the state.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, he saw a green coloured Ford car with number plate Lagos, APP 764 CC.
The car, which was parked inside the BRT lane, had its front bonnet bashed.
An eyewitness, Shina Saka, said the car belonged to the military officer.
He said, “I saw the Lagbus approaching the Onipanu bus stop when it discovered that the exit of the BRT lane had been blocked by a broken down vehicle.
“As it reversed, the driver failed to see that a car was behind. Although the military officer pressed the car’s horn, the driver did not hear. That was how he rammed the rear of the Lagbus into the car.”
It was learnt that there was confusion as passengers in the fully-loaded vehicle quickly disembarked it.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the vehicle that broke down on the BRT lane was also quickly pushed out after the owner saw the havoc it had caused.
A witness, Temitope Sikiru, said the soldier held the Lagbus driver by the clothes and asked him to follow him to the barracks.
“But the colleagues of the driver surrounded him and said they would not allow him to take the driver away.
“Soon the matter turned violent as the driver slapped the soldier in a bid to get himself out of his grab. His colleagues also deflated his car’s tyre.
“When the soldier saw what was happening, he ran into the Lagbus and locked the doors. He drove in such a way that he almost crushed us.”
The driver, who wore a polo shirt, was overheard by our correspondent saying, “How will I see his small car when I was reversing? I didn’t see him.”
When PUNCH Metro approached him and others standing with him, one of them said, “Please, nothing happened here.”
It was learnt that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority visited the scene of the incident.
The spokesperson of LASTMA, Bola Ajao, said officials of the agency were not involved in the incident.
She said, “Our officials merely went there after the incident happened and left soon afterwards.”
When our correspondent contacted the Public Relations Officer of Lagbus, Yemi Junaid, she said she was not aware of the incident.
She said, “We have not got any information on the situation for now. It could be one of our franchise buses because when it is a franchise vehicle, they don’t tell us directly.”
The PRO of the Army, 81 Brigade, Lt Okubo, said he would contact his boss on the matter, adding that he would also call back.
But he had yet to do so as of press time.
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