Ojodu tragedy: Buhari mourns as Sanwo-Olu expresses sadness over death of students

IBRAHIM QUADRI

President Muhammadu Buhari commiserates with parents, relations and friends of Ojodu Grammar School students who lost their lives in an accident on Tuesday, along Isheri Road, Ojodu, in Lagos State.

According to a statement by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, the President condoles with Government and people of Lagos State and the authorities of Ojodu Grammar School over the sad and painful loss of the promising lives that were cut short in the tragic incident.

 Buhari prayed that the Almighty God will comfort the grieving parents and relations at this very difficult time, and grant the injured quick recovery.

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the students of Ojodu Grammar school, who were crushed to death by a truck driver yesterday.

 In a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile on Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu described the demise of the students as sad, unfortunate and avoidable.

The Governor sympathised with families of the bereaved students, their relatives, friends, management and staff of Ojodu Grammar school.

He said: “I commiserate with the parents, management, staff and students of Ojodu Grammar school over this unfortunate death of our students, whose lives were cut short by a truck driver yesterday.

“The sad incident has left me devastated since yesterday because it is terrible to hear about the death of innocent children, especially in a clearly avoidable circumstance like what happened yesterday.

“As a parent, words cannot express how shattered I was when I learnt about the incident. No one’s life, including those vibrant students, who were returning from where they had gone to learn for a better future, deserved to be ended in that manner.

“My deepest sympathies go out to their parents. I pray that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

“Our prayers are also with the survivors, who are receiving treatment at the hospitals.

“Meanwhile, we have immediately ordered that the affected schools be shut down till January, while investigations are ongoing. The erring driver has also been arrested.”

However, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has said that its officials were not involved in the unfortunate truck accident that crushed some students on their way home from school in Ojodu on Tuesday.

The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos.

Oreagba averred that from the reports he received on the incidence, the driver was believed to have lost control of the vehicle, probably because of mechanical reasons.

He, however, said the police was investigating the matter and the public should await their report.

Oreagba said LASTMA does not have a traffic management duty post around the accident scene.

He said: “So all patrol personnel had reported back to base for daily parade as at the time the accident occurred leaving only those at their traffic management posts.

“It is important to noted that various unconfirmed reports in some media, not only LASTMA as an agency was fingered but some other government traffic control agencies.

“So, I wondered how all these agencies would be in pursuit of one truck, a truck that could be apprehended at a later date, that is, if it had committed any traffic infraction,” Oreagba said.

He advised that the media should refrain from rushing to the press with unsubstantiated reports, all in a bid to be the first to break the news that could engender public distrust before the revelation of the facts.

Oreagba commiserated with the families of the students that lost their lives and prayed for the quick recovery for the injured.

He said that everyone had the responsibility of making the roads safe by strictly adhering to all motoring and traffic rules and regulations that have been put in place.

Also reacting Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, ember representing Ikeja Federal Constituency at the lower chamber of the National Assembly, has expressed his sadness over what he described as an unfortunate but avoidable incident that occurred in the Ojodu area of Lagos State, a part of his constituency.

Faleke, who made this known in a statement, noted that security and other law enforcement agencies have assured of calmness and restoration of law and order.

”We will support all efforts by relevant government agencies and public office holders to ensure culprits are brought to book and conditions will be put in place to avert future occurrence”, he said.

Expressing his grief, he stated:  ”Upon hearing this, I shed tears because we can only imagine what we, the parents, friends, schoolmates, and families are passing through. It is a very sad moment and indeed a black Tuesday in the history of our constituency seeing these young rising stars suddenly dimmed at this early stage in life. I pray that God consoles the families and grant them the fortitude to bear this unfortunate incidence.”

Also, a Lagos State House of Assembly, Ikeja Constituency 2 member, Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, commiserated with the families of the affected students as well as their school authorities and all stakeholders and prayed to God to grant them the strength to bear the irreparable losses.

Kasumu said: “It is quite sad and unfortunate indeed, our children are supposed to be safe and secured in and outside the school environment as they strive hard to build a better future. It was a heart-rending occurrence in our constituency we can only pray and plan we don’t witness such again.”

He appealed to the youths to remain peaceful and calm and called on the security agencies to spring into action and carry out thorough investigation on the remote and immediate cause of the incident with a view to ensuring justice is served and also to prevent future reoccurrence

He disclosed that adequate medical attention for the injured students was currently being provided.

He added: “A motion to address the incident will be moved on the floor of the Lagos State House of Assembly shortly; that whosoever is found culpable in the dastardly act will be dealt with according to the Law.”

Also, the Executive Chairman, Ojodu LCDA, David Odunmbaku, sympathized with victims’ families and called for calmness and peace, as the destruction of properties would only complicate and aggravate the saddening situation.

He also visited the hospitals to commiserate with the victims later in the evening together with the Area Commander, Area F Police Command, Ikeja, ACP Alli Zango, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ojodu, CSP Akinola Arowojolu.

The hospitals where they visited were, St. Timothy Hospital, Royal Hospital, God’s Apple City Hospital, and Lagos State Accident and Control Center.

The police have said contrary to media reports; two children lost their lives and not 17.

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