From Dotun Omishakin, Lagos
Two street cleaners were killed on Monday by an unidentified driver attempting to escape a raid by officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) at Charlie Boy bus-stop via Oshodi- Gbagada expressway in Lagos State.
The lifeless bodies of the cleaners were seen laid in a drainage channel as onlookers mourned.
The gathering of onlookers and other street cleaners led to blockade of the road, leaving commuters stranded for hours.
According to eyewitnesses, the victims who were said to be from the same family, were hit by a vehicle whose driver lost control, swerving to escape an early morning raid by LASTMA.
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“This has been happening for a very long time, the exploitation and the wickedness by Lagos state government and LASTMA, this wickedness must stop.
“Look at what happened, two family members died because a LASTMA official was chasing a bus. This has been happening for a very long time,” said a resident, identified as Friday.
At the venue, some street cleaners were seen ranting, accusing the state government of endangering their lives.
All civil attempts to take them off the road fell on deaf ears until the intervention of a horde of police officers who dispersed them after sporadic gunfire in the air.
Meanwhile, there was a mild protest against the operation of LASTMA at Ile Zik bus stop close to Ikeja Along.
Drivers who participated in the protest carried placards bearing inscriptions to express their grievances against LASTMA.
