Speeding Tanker Kills Dispatch Rider in Lagos, Sparks Mob Attack on Driver

A tragic road accident in Lagos has claimed the life of a dispatch rider after a speeding tanker collided with him in the Motorways Inward Estate area of Alapere.

According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the incident involved an empty NIPCO tanker bearing registration number TTN-776ZQ. Preliminary findings indicate that the tanker driver, allegedly driving at excessive speed, rammed into the moving rider, leading to his immediate death.

Spokesperson for LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed that the situation quickly escalated as fellow dispatch riders at the scene reportedly launched an attack on the tanker driver in anger over the fatal crash.

However, LASTMA officials intervened promptly, preventing further chaos. The agency’s operatives managed to rescue the injured driver from the mob and handed him over to the Lagos State Ambulance Service for urgent medical attention at a nearby hospital.

Taofiq noted that the swift response of traffic officials helped avert a breakdown of law and order, while police operatives from Alausa Division were also deployed to restore calm and disperse the crowd.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased rider and stressed the urgent need for stricter adherence to road safety regulations.

He warned tanker drivers and other motorists against reckless driving and overspeeding, describing such behavior as a major contributor to fatal accidents on Nigerian roads.

Authorities confirmed that the tanker and the damaged motorcycle have been taken into police custody, while investigations into the incident are ongoing.

In a related development, another fatal accident was recorded in Ogun State, where three persons, including a minor, lost their lives after a truck collided with a minibus along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway.