46-year-old Adeyemi Adebayo explained how the death of their only child, Adedoyin, destabilised himself and his wife.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that Adedoyin, an SS2 pupil of Babs Fafunwa Millenium Secondary School (formerly known as Ojodu Grammar School) was among students who were crushed hit-and-run truck loaded with soap while going home around 2pm after closing from the school.
The truck driver was eventually arrested while his vehicle was burnt by angry youths who also vandalised about 10 trucks on the road.
The police confirmed that two school children, 15-year-old Adedoyin, and a JSS 3 pupil, 14-year-old Israel Akpolebi, died, while others, who suffered varying degrees of injury, were admitted to different hospitals.
Speaking with PUNCH, the deceased’s father said, “She was the apple of our eyes; she was our only child. Till now, her mother is still unstable. I am a cab driver. In the afternoon of that day, the vehicle was faulty and I called the owner to inform him. As I was driving home, I saw some of her schoolmates waving at me and shouting ‘Adedoyin.’ They said she was hit by a truck.
“I parked the car and took a bike to the scene. I saw personal effects of some pupils at the scene but didn’t see hers. We went to all the hospitals the pupils were taken to but couldn’t find her. My brother and a relative then went to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. From there, they directed them to the Lagos Mainland Hospital morgue where her corpse was deposited.
“I was at the police station when the news of her death was broken to me. I nearly ran mad. It was policemen who held me and tried to console me. She was a very friendly child. She would hug her mum before she left for school. She was a good girl.
“The Commissioner for Education came and promised that the government would assist us in any way they could. This is the time my wife needs me most. If I have my own cab, I will be able to make more money to take care of her.”
Looking frail and devastated, 44-year-old Bukola betrayed emotion as she tried to speak on the incident.
Her elder sister, Mrs Victoria Lawal, blamed officials of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority for the crash, though the agency had in a statement denied complicity in the tragedy.
She described Adedoyin as a brilliant and loving child, lamenting the family just marked her 15th birthday two weeks ago.
She said, “We appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to prevail on LASTMA officials. If they had not chased the truck, the accident would have been avoided.
“Adedoyin was like a child to me. She was so precious to us. She spent the last mid-term break with me.
“She preached at the church last Sunday at the children section. She was also leading the Christmas Carole that would come up in a few days’ time. She was very brilliant. She clocked at 15 on November 26.
“A day before the incident, she was asking my daughter to give her a wig. When we learnt about her death on Tuesday, we were shocked. The government should find a way to console all the parents of the affected pupils.”
She said, “We appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to prevail on LASTMA officials. If they had not chased the truck, the accident would have been avoided.
“Adedoyin was like a child to me. She was so precious to us. She spent the last mid-term break with me.
“She preached at the church last Sunday at the children section. She was also leading the Christmas Carole that would come up in a few days’ time. She was very brilliant. She clocked at 15 on November 26.
“A day before the incident, she was asking my daughter to give her a wig. When we learnt about her death on Tuesday, we were shocked. The government should find a way to console all the parents of the affected pupils.”