A tragic car crash at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge toll gate in Lagos has claimed the lives of three young people and sparked criticism over the police response to the incident.
The accident, which occurred at approximately 1:00 am on Monday, involved two vehicles carrying around eight passengers.
A social media user identified as Dr Love @Drweloveu, shared details of the incident on X, stating, “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 collision resulted in immediate fatalities, with two individuals dying at the scene and a third succumbing to injuries shortly after being extricated from the wreckage.
“Two died on the spot, and one passed away a few minutes after being pulled from the wrecked car,” Dr Love recounted.
Surprisingly, both drivers involved in the crash emerged without any injuries.
“The two drivers from both cars came out unharmed, no scratch on their body. They came out hale and hearty, while their friends lay dead,” Dr Love stated, emphasizing the tragic irony of the situation.
The handling of the aftermath by the police, who arrived at the scene, has been met with widespread criticism.
According to Dr Love, instead of providing assistance, the officers handcuffed the surviving occupants of the vehicles, appearing indifferent to the victims still lying on the ground.
“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,” he said.
Eyewitnesses and community members, including local elders, expressed their dismay at the police’s actions, urging them to focus on aiding the deceased and injured.
“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,” Dr Love narrated.
After several pleas from the crowd, the police eventually released the survivors, allowing the bystanders to assist in contacting the families of the deceased.
“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,” Dr Love added.
A dispatch rider who was present at the scene shared a distressing account, mentioning that one of the victims was still alive when he was pulled out of the wreckage but unfortunately passed away within ten minutes.
In response to the widespread criticism, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, issued a statement on X, clarifying the police’s actions at the scene.
He 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 further explained, “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 the public that a thorough investigation into the incident is currently underway.
