Two street cleaners lost their lives at Charlie Boy bus stop via the Oshodi-Gbagada expressway in Lagos State on Monday.
The victims, who were members of the same family, met their unfortunate demise as an unidentified driver attempted to flee from a raid conducted by officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA).
The lifeless bodies of the street cleaners were found lying in a drainage channel, a grim scene that left onlookers in mourning.
The tragedy, however, did not end there, as the gathering of onlookers and fellow street cleaners resulted in a road blockade, causing hours of inconvenience for stranded commuters.
Eyewitnesses on the scene shed light on the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident.
The driver responsible for the fatal collision reportedly lost control of their vehicle while swerving to evade an early morning raid by LASTMA officials.
This incident has further ignited the ongoing frustration among residents who feel exploited and wronged by the Lagos state government and LASTMA.
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“This has been happening for a very long time; the exploitation and wickedness by the Lagos state government and LASTMA must stop. Look at what happened. Two family members died because a LASTMA official was chasing a bus. This has been happening for a very long time,” lamented a resident known as Friday.
At the scene, some street cleaners voiced their anger and accused the state government of recklessly endangering their lives.
Civil attempts to clear the road and disperse the protestors went unanswered until a group of police officers intervened, dispersing the crowd with sporadic gunfire in the air.
Meanwhile, a mild protest against the operations of LASTMA took place at Ile Zik bus stop near Ikeja Along.
Demonstrating drivers carried placards bearing inscriptions that expressed their grievances against LASTMA, reflecting a growing discontent with the agency’s practices.