A fatal car crash at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge toll gate in Lagos has resulted in the death of three young individuals and ignited controversy over the handling of the incident by the police.
The accident, which occurred on Monday, involved two cars carrying approximately eight people however ignited outrage as it was reported that men of the Nigerian Police Force who arrived the scene mismanaged the situation.
A social media user, Dr Love #Drweloveu, who shared details of the incident X, said “18-year-old driver killed 3 of his friends in accident. Police arrested the remaining 2 survivors. The driver was about 18 years old and without a driver’s licence.
“The crash had immediate and tragic consequences.
“Two died on the spot, and one passed away a few minutes after being pulled from the wrecked car,” Dr Love reported.
Dr Love, describing the scene, said, “Instead of helping, the police who arrived at the scene handcuffed the survivors, acting like they didn’t care about the bodies on the ground.”
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This action reportedly shocked bystanders, including local elders, who urged the police to prioritise the victims’ care.
He said: “People in the area, including elders, couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They begged the police to focus on taking the dead to the hospital or mortuary instead of arresting those who had just lost their friends.
“After many complaints, the police finally let them go, and the crowd began trying to help, searching for the families of those who had died. It was a deeply sad night, filled with loss and a feeling that things should have been handled differently. ”
A dispatch rider at the scene provided a harrowing account, stating that one of them was still breathing when he brought him out but stopped breathing after about 10 minutes.
However, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, reacting to the report in a statement on X, said “the police arrived at the scene and took occupants of the vehicles to the hospital.
“Unfortunately, three were certified dead and the police took their bodies to Yaba mortuary.”
Hundeyin added that “the police equally took the driver at fault to the hospital for medical attention and left him in the custody of his family after they were contacted.”
He assured that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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