#OtedolaBridge: Police chase owner, driver of ill-fated fuel tanker
Police in Lagos have said plans are already in place to prosecute the owner and driver of the ill-fated fuel tanker which exploded on Otedola Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, last Thursday.
The explosion had led to the death of several persons and loss of millions of Naira worth of properties.
Police boss in Lagos, Imohimi Edgal said on Monday that investigations into the incident were ongoing, and the government would not allow vehicles that pose serious danger to residents to remain on the road.
Edgal, after his meeting with state governor Akinwunmi Ambode and other stakeholders, said: “As regards investigation into the matter, it is in top gear. I have just received a letter from the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice which stated very clearly charges which we are going to prefer against the driver and the owner of that tanker.
“Henceforth, we are using this opportunity to call on all tanker drivers, all lorry drivers, all owners of such articulated vehicles to please submit those vehicles for Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) test; they must go through the entire hub and get the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) Certificate of Road Worthiness.
“We will not allow such vehicles which obviously pose serious danger to other road users on our roads,” Edgal said.
He said government had already directed security agencies to intensify enforcement of relevant laws, especially the State Traffic Law, with the view to ensuring that the roads and highways in the State were safe for commuters to ply without any danger.
He also urged residents to always refrain from converging on the scene of any accident of such magnitude as that of the unfortunate tanker fire incident, saying there could be secondary explosion which could lead to loss of lives.
The Attorney General, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, while giving update of the fire incident, said families of the victims had started submitting relevant samples to aid DNA test.
“I can confirm that today, families who lost their loved ones to the accident have started reporting at the Lagos State DNA Forensic Centre for submission of reference samples that would be used to identify victims,” he said.
