Police in Lagos have begun a manhunt for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, Collins Nnodi, who fled after knocking down a woman, Grace Okeleke, at Agric bus stop in Ikorodu area of the state.
The victim, who was the wife of Head of Public Relations, Globacom, Andrew Okeleke, attempted to cross the road on Monday after being dropped off by her driver around 7.20pm, when Nnodi, who was driving a bus with number plate EPE 59 XR, knocked her down and sped off.
Okeleke, it was gathered, died on the spot.
Her family said in a statement on Thursday that she was a minister at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
“The deceased was crossing the road after being dropped off by her driver just after the Agric bus stop, inwards Ketu, where there was no pedestrian bridge, when she was hit by the BRT bus. She died on the spot before she could be taken to hospital,” the family said.
“The late Mrs Okeleke, a businesswoman, hailed from Issele-Mkpitime, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. She was until her demise a top leader of her town’s women group in Lagos as well as a minister of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Grace Hall Parish, Ikorodu.”
She is survived by her husband and children.
Shortly after the incident, an angry mob began vandalising BRT buses plying the route before police intervention brought normalcy to the area.
Speaking on the incident, the Chief Security Officer, Primero Transport Services Limited, the franchise holder of the BRT buses, Cletus Okodolor, condoled with the victim’s family.
He also criticised the BRT driver for abandoning her at the scene of the accident and not informing his employers of the incident.
“We sympathise with the family and we are shocked at the action of the busman. The accident involved one of our buses, with number 344. The bus was coming from Ikorodu inwards Mile 12, and she was trying to cross to the other side of the road without actually looking properly; she entered the BRT corridor to cross and there was contact,” Mr Okodolor said.
“The woman died on the spot. But the busman did not help matters, because he drove off out of fear of being hurt and refused to put us in the picture. Suddenly, we started getting calls that an angry mob was vandalising our vehicles, because one of our buses knocked someone down on the corridor and we quickly informed the Traffic Division of the Owutu Police Station and its personnel were dispatched in the area.
“When we got there, we learnt that the husband had taken the corpse to the morgue. But during our investigation, we realised that the busman had parked his bus in front of our office and left the engine running, instead of parking it at the right place.
“So, we started searching for the busman, but he was nowhere to be found and that was how we realised that it was the busman, who knocked down the woman.
“The driver is still at large and we are working with the police to get him arrested. We have also taken the bus to the police station.”
