By Damilare Adeleye
A 300-level student of Lagos State University, Abdul-Rasheed Adenike Azeezat, has been killed in a tragic road accident allegedly caused by an overspeeding commercial driver in the Obadore area of Alimosho LGA of Lagos State.
The deceased, a student of the Department of Educational Foundations and Counselling Psychology, was reportedly crushed to death while attempting to cross the road on Saturday afternoon at about 4 p.m.
The incident sparked outrage among students, many of whom accused police authorities of attempting to cover up the circumstances surrounding the crash after the driver was taken into custody.
Consequently, students’ union leaders, alongside officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), staged a protest to the Area M Police Station in Idimu, demanding justice for the victim and transparency in the handling of the case.
An X user, identified as Emmanuel, who posted a video from the scene on X (formerly Twitter), alleged that the driver was operating at high speed before the fatal impact.
He wrote, “That danfo driver must be held accountable cause I witnessed it live. He was speeding like a maniac. Her friends and her (sic) wanted to cross the road. I was at that pool looking at them. I swear to God that driver came like a maniac and hit her. He wanted to run (away).“
Confirming the development via a tweet, the Lagos State Police Command stated on Saturday night that the driver involved had been arrested.
The police added that the victim’s remains had been deposited in a mortuary, while the vehicle involved in the accident had been impounded as part of ongoing investigations.
It added that the case has also been transferred to the Area Command for further handling.
“The Command is aware of the incident, which is a fatal motor accident. Following the report, the DPO Igando promptly visited the scene. The corpse has been deposited at the mortuary, while the driver involved is in Police custody. The vehicle has also been impounded for further investigation. The case has since been transferred to the Area Command,” the Police stated.
It assured members of the public that “all necessary legal actions will be taken in accordance with the law. Members of the public are advised to remain calm.”
When contacted for comment, the Coordinator of the Centre for Information and Public Relations, Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile, said she would respond at a later time.i
“I will get back to you on this,” she stated in a WhatsApp message.