Hit-and-run driver crushes own conductor to death

    
The police in Lagos have arrested a truck driver for allegedly crushing his conductor to death in the Tin-Can Island, Apapa area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that the truck driver had parked the vehicle along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, while the conductor went to Olodi-Apapa Lagoon to ease himself around 8pm on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses said the conductor was returning to the truck when the driver ran over him and sped off.

It was learnt that after the incident occurred,  the Area B Commander was called after which other policemen in the area were radioed.

A police source said, “ACP Muhammed Ali was alerted and he, in turn, called  the divisional police officers under his command to ensure that the truck did not escape from their divisions. When the policemen arrived at the scene, some truck drivers and conductors protested that the corpse should not be removed.

“It took the  police team commander some minutes to persuade the angry drivers. They later allowed the policemen to take the corpse to the general hospital.”

Our correspondent learnt that the DPO, Layeni Police Station, CSP Chijioke Ndu, led a team of police patrol team to man the Mile 2 end of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

The policemen attached to Layeni police station were able to stop the truck with their patrol vehicle and arrested the driver.

It was learnt that the suspect was transferred to the Area ‘B’ Command.

Police sources, however, told PUNCH Metro that investigations were on to determine if the driver deliberately killed the victim or if it was a mistake.

“The driver is claiming he mistakenly killed the victim but why did he not wait after killing his assistant? We will get to the bottom of the case and he will be charged to court,” a source said.

When contacted on the telephone, Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said “A pedestrian, Toheeb Wahab, was crushed by a truck driver, Ismaila Raji, while Wahab was crossing towards Tincan Second Gate, Mile 2. After hitting Wahab, the truck driver sped off. After being pursued, he was arrested at Mile 2. The suspect is being detained at Layeni Police Station.”

Copyright PUNCH.