Lagos Hit-And-Run Driver Nabbed In Ghana

A driver with King Solomon Chariots Transportation, Abuchi Okpara, who fled to Ghana after allegedly hitting a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official, Obafemi Ogunmeru, has been arrested .

The driver, who absconded after the August 7 accident at Igando in Lagos, was brought back from Ghana, by his boss, Johnson Ogbonnaya and handed over to the police last Friday and charged to court on Monday .

Okpara knocked down Ogunmeru in Igando area of Alimosho while attempting to evade arrest after violating traffic rule .

He was driving a Ghana-bound commercial vehicle with registration number KJA 633 XT. He was said to have dropped passengers at undesignated spot at Igando.

The Nation learnt that drivers action around the axis usually caused traffic obstruction and gridlock on the Igando-Ikotun road .

Okpara failed to obey Ogunmeru’s directive to move his vehicle to the nearest lay-bye to avoid gridlock .

Okpara allegedly hit the traffic official with his Toyota Sienna while maneouvering to evade arrest .

The quick intervention of the nearby policemen did not prevent him from fleeing to Ghana.

The victim was rushed to lgando General Hospital, before being transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) .

An Igando Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered he be remanded in Kirikiri Prison.

LASTMA’s General Manager Olawale Musa condemned the incident, saying such attack on LASTMA officials was of concern to government .

He urged the aggrieved to take advantage of the complaint channels set up by LASTMA instead of taking the law into their hands .

Musa urged vehicle owners to take a cue from Ogbonnaya by ensuring that law breakers did not go scot free .

He said: “We like to commend Mr Ogbonnaya for this rare display of patriotism and exemplary behaviour and urge others to take a cue from him because this can only encourage traffic officials to continue discharging their duty effectively.”