The Airport Police Command has arrested a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Adewale Abiodun, in connection with a fatal hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a 19-year-old female pedestrian at the Airport Bus Stop, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The tragic incident occurred after an Ashok Leyland bus operated under the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), with registration number MUS-139-YL, struck the victim shortly after she alighted at the Airport Bus Stop and was heading towards the airport.
Following the accident, concerned passersby at the scene swiftly mobilised and rushed the critically injured victim to the Air Force Base Hospital for urgent medical attention.
Police operatives of the Airport Police Command later proceeded to the hospital after receiving information about the incident.
Medical personnel at the facility, however, confirmed that the victim was dead on arrival, having sustained severe injuries from the impact.
In a statement issued yesterday, the command Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Adeola, disclosed that the Command immediately commenced investigations and launched a coordinated manhunt for the driver, who fled the scene after the accident.
He said that, in the course of the investigation, the Command collaborated with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to track the bus, identify the suspect, and establish accountability.
The collaboration subsequently led to the identification and arrest of the driver, who has been taken into police custody, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident continue.
“As a result of this collaboration, the driver was identified, located, and subsequently brought to the Domestic Police Division, Airport Command, by officials of LAMATA.
“The suspect, identified as Mr. Adewale Abiodun, has since been taken into police custody and has made a statement in respect of the incident, as investigations continue” Adeola noted.
Reacting to the incident, the Airport Commissioner of Police, Ogunbode Olufunke, described the accident as a grave and unfortunate loss of life and reiterated that the Command will ensure that justice is served.
She emphasized that acts of negligence and reckless driving on public roads will not be condoned, and offenders will be made to face the full weight of the law.
The Commissioner further urged motorists and pedestrians to remain vigilant and comply strictly with traffic regulations, stressing that collective responsibility is essential to preventing avoidable tragedies.
“Upon the conclusion of investigations, the suspect will be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction,” Olufunke said.
