Bus Kills LAWMA Sweeper, Driver Arrested

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the death of a Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) operative in a road accident along Meran Road, near the Iyana Ekoro axis in Lagos.

In a statement released on Saturday via the agency’s official X account, signed by Adebayo Taofiq, Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, LASTMA said the female operative “was conscientiously engaged in her lawful environmental sanitation duties” when she was struck by a blue Ford commercial bus (BDG 495 YH) that was “recklessly and unlawfully reversing on the expressway.”

“The vehicle forcefully rammed into the unsuspecting LAWMA sweeper, who was carrying out routine roadside cleaning. The impact, particularly to the head, proved instantly fatal,” the statement added.

LASTMA officers on active traffic patrol quickly responded to the scene after receiving reports of the accident. “The driver attempted to flee in a bid to evade responsibility. Officers immediately pursued and successfully apprehended him, escorting both the driver and the vehicle back to the scene,” the agency said.

The driver and the bus were handed over to the Meiran Police Division for further investigation and prosecution in line with existing laws. LASTMA noted that the swift intervention prevented a potential public disturbance, as angry onlookers had begun to gather at the scene.

The remains of the deceased were “respectfully evacuated from the scene by LAWMA officials using an official LAWMA vehicle for further necessary procedures,” LASTMA added.

Expressing deep anguish over the incident, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki described the loss as “both distressing and preventable,” extending “heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, colleagues and loved ones of the fallen LAWMA operative. We fervently pray that Almighty God grants them fortitude and divine strength required to endure the irreplaceable loss.”

Bakare-Oki condemned the act of reversing on an expressway, stressing it “constitutes a serious traffic offence and a blatant contravention of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018,” and warned motorists against “reckless, unlawful driving practices which continually result in needless fatalities and public sorrow.”

He also commended the “vigilance, courage and swift response of LASTMA Officers involved in the incident, particularly for ensuring the suspect’s apprehension and preventing his escape from justice.”

It can be recalled that a similar incident occurred a few days ago, in which a truck collided with four other vehicles, leaving two dead and three others critically injured. Bakare-Oki said the driver of the Silo Mixer Truck “absconded from the scene upon realising the gravity of the incident.”