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By Steve Agbota
Scores of commuters and Ladipo traders escaped death in the early hours of Thursday when a cargo-laden 40ft container fell off a truck in Lagos.
The incident occurred at the popular Oke Afa in the Ejigbo Local Government Area during the peak period.
The container, which was fully loaded with export produce, left Olamide Street and was heading to one of the Lagos ports when it fell on a kiosk where several people were playing a popular bet known as “Baba Ijebu”.
Daily Sun learnt that the incident occurred during heavy traffic at the Benson Akinyele Street junction, where several buses were loading Toyota/Ladipo, Isolo, Mushin and Cele passengers.
However, it was gathered that officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and other security agencies were on the ground to maintain orderliness and control traffic after the incident, while a mechanism for evacuation was underway.
Residents around Oke Afa who spoke with Daily Sun blamed the road contractors for excavating the sand on the road and selling it, which they alleged led to the bad state of the road.
According to Mr Joe Ejike, the road was initially bad, but the contractors further complicated its condition.
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He said that the contractors were very slow with the construction of the road, adding that the Lagos State Ministry of Works should investigate the activities slowing down the project.
“Thousands of vehicles, traders and residents are plying the Oke Afa/Jakande road every day, and it is one of the busiest roads in Lagos because it connects so many routes. The road links Ejigbo, Isolo, Cele, Ago Palace Way, Canoe/Ajao Estate, Ijegun, Egbeda, Ikotun and others.
“The road has been bad and neglected for years. It was two years ago that they started the construction of the road, but we have not witnessed any developments. Even the portion that the contractors were able to do cannot last because they made use of inferior materials. We want the Lagos State Government to investigate the road,” he said.
Also speaking to our correspondent, Olabisi Henry blamed the bad state of the road and potholes as the cause of the incident.
According to him, the presence of the security agencies helped to control the traffic that resulted from the incident.
“Imagine if the container had killed commuters as the road was busy this morning; the situation would have been so bad, as traffic around this area would have been paralysed due to business activities. The government should do more to rehabilitate bad portions to avert disasters like this.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu needs to sit up and do some palliatives on these roads. If not for God, who knows how many innocent souls would have gone today? The road needs urgent repair,” he added.
