It was learnt that the victims – Wasiu Ayinde, 28; Azeez Adeleke, 26; Ibrahim Balogun, 30; and one Samuel aged 27 – had attended a carnival at Iyana Iba last Saturday.
They lived in Ijoko, Ogun State and were said to be returning home with five others when the car knocked them down at the spot around 5am on Sunday. Three of them reportedly died on the spot.
It was gathered that they had boarded a bus from the venue to the bus stop and were waiting for the next available bus when the incident occurred.
It was learnt that residents sent a distress call to the police at the Gowon Estate Division and the corpses were evacuated to the Mainland General Hospital morgue.
Ayinde’s father, Mutiu, a butcher, told our correspondent that he was at work when he received the sad news.
He said, “I did not sleep at home last Saturday when Wasiu (Ayinde) attended the carnival with his friends and he did not inform his mother before he left home. I was at work when my wife called me that Wasiu and his friends were involved in an accident around Gowon Estate. He and three other friends died. He was the third child in the family. He was married with a child. I learnt they were invited to the carnival by their friends.”
Mutiu described the death as a great loss to the family and urged the police to ensure that the driver was arrested.
A relation of Adeleke, Kazeem Jimoh, said the family knew about the accident through those who sustained injuries.
He said Adeleke, a plumber, was survived by parents, a wife and a child who had since been thrown into mourning.
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He said, “They were walking along the road when the car rammed into them. The driver sped off and he has yet to be arrested. Nine of them from Ijoko attended the carnival. The four of them that died were good friends. Three died on the spot while the fourth person, Samuel, died at the Ikeja General Hospital. They were invited to the event by their friends. They also held their carnival on the New Year’s Eve and those friends were there.
“Luckily, the bumper of the car came off and the number plate was there. It has been handed over to the police. We want the police to track down the driver and bring the person to justice.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said the police had intensified efforts to arrest the driver. He, however, said three fatalities were recorded by the police.
He said, “On Sunday, around 7am, our men at the Gowon Estate Police Station received a distress call that there was an accident at Mosalasi Bus Stop. They visited the scene and it was discovered that three pedestrians were knocked down and died on the spot. Their corpses were evacuated to the Mainland General Hospital morgue for autopsy. The command will ensure that the driver is arrested and brought to justice.”
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