Driver escapes to Ghana after knocking down LASTMA official

Lagos State Traffic Management Agency LASTMA

The General Manager of King Solomon Chariots Transportation, Johnson Ogbonnaya, has handed over one of the company’s drivers, Abuchi Okpara, who knocked down a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official, Obafemi Ogunmeru.

Okpara had absconded to Ghana, after knocking down Obafemi on August 7, 2017 in the Igando area of Alimosho while attempting to evade arrest after violating the Lagos State Traffic Law.

The offender was driving a Ghana-bound commercial vehicle with registration number KJA 633 XT where he dropped passengers at undesignated spot at Igando.

His action was said to be in gross violation of the relevant sections of the Lagos State Traffic Laws, and effort of the traffic official to make him move the vehicle to the nearest lay-bye proved abortive.

The driver’s failure to obey Ogunmeru’s directive and desperate manoeuvring to evade apprehension led to Okpara running his Toyota Sienna vehicle over the traffic official.

Not even the quick intervention of nearby policemen could prevent the culprit from driving ferociously in a bid to escape from the scene of the incident after which he fled to Ghana.

The victim was rushed to lgando General Hospital for initial treatment, before being transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for comprehensive medical care.

However, the commitment of police officers of the Igando Police Station and subsequent support of Ogbonnaya eventually led to the driver’s arrest.

Ogbonnaya personally travelled to Ghana to apprehend the suspect, brought him to Nigeria and handed him over to LASTMA and the police to face the full wrath of the law.

The driver was on Monday charged before an Igando Magistrate Court where he was ordered to be remanded in Kirikiri Prison.