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Who killed LASTMA official?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
WHEN Hammed Balogun decided to join the services of the Lagos State Transport and Management Authority (LASTMA) a few years ago, little did he know that he had taken up an appointment that would eventually claim his life in a dramatic way.
The 33-year-old Balogun while on duty was hit by a vehicle in the full glare of the viewing public. Days after the incident, effort to unravel the killer of the late young man had become a herculean task.
On the first day of the incident, Balogun, who was allegedly run over by a female banker, Yinka Johnson, was later said to have been hit by a reckless Danfo driver and not the banker as originally portrayed.
The banker, according to the traffic authority, was driving against traffic along Lekki-Ajah expressway when she was accosted by the now-deceased 33-year-old LASTMA official.
According to the General Manager of the traffic management authority, Mr Babatunde Edu, “The driver, whose identity was revealed by the auto inspector device as Yinka Johnson, an employee of IBTC, drove in a green LandRover Jeep with registration number CY 276 LSD against traffic from Mega Chicken inward toll plaza two.
“She was intercepted by three officials of LASTMA led by the head of Operations, Mr. Quayum Asafa, for traffic violation. Johnson started driving recklessly in order to escape and in the process ran over the officer.
“The deceased was rushed to Germaine Hospital where he later died as a result of injury sustained from the accident. The corpse was deposited at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja for autopsy.
“Realising what she had done, she ran and escaped from the scene of the incident into Ikota Estate, Ajah with the security men shutting the gate.
“The situation became riotous as the security attached to the gate refused all entreaties to open the gate until the intervention of the area commander in charge of Area J, Mr. Felix Uwamli, who called for backup before access could be gained into the estate.”
Today, Johnson is crying against the allegation by the LASTMA director. In separate interview, the lady banker denied hitting the late LASTMA official with her car as claimed.
Since then, several people have come out to say Balogun was killed by a reckless danfo driver.
The question now is who killed Balogun? A danfo driver or a banker? How long would it take the police to unravel the mystery surrounding the killer this LASTMA official?
How committed would other LASTMA officials be as long as actual killer of Balogun remains a matter of conjecture?
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