… South West Govs sleeping, Lagos-Ibadan road becoming another Abuja-Kaduna express road – Group
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR
COMMUTERS travelling on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were on Wednesday evening thrown into pandemonium after gunmen opened fire on them.
Motorists plying the busy road were asked to turn back following an attack by the unknown gunmen who reportedly stormed the road from the bush.
Some of the travellers who shared their experiences on live videos they shared on their social media handles, revealed that the development threw them into panic, adding that they were stranded as their drivers couldn’t proceed.
The attack was said to have started at about 6:45pm as the heavily armed gunmen shot sporadically into the air.
It was gathered that the gun wielding men of the underworld are suspected kidnappers. One of the commuters was said to have been hit by bullet and that the person had been battling for his life in an undisclosed hospital.
One of the travellers simply identified as Daniel captured how people were stranded on the expressway as vehicles were parked while there was no vehicular movement along the road over fear of attack.
Commenting on the video he shared on his Twitter account, Daniel said, “We just heard people shouting that everybody should turn back that there are kidnappers on the way. You can see, people need to turn back. This is terrible. This is before Sapade. Terrible!”
Other travellers’ account revealed that the gunmen were robbing on the way.
Recall that many had sustained injuries as some gunmen dressed in military uniforms had reportedly attacked commuters travelling on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Tuesday.
The gunmen suspected to be kidnappers had reportedly stormed the road from the bush before the Sagamu Interchange en route Lagos and started shooting at motorists in the 18-passenger inter-state bus.
According to one of the victims who craved anonymity, “We (passengers) were only lucky to escape the gunmen but many of us have been injured by the bullets and our bus has been badly damaged too.”
Another video shows a man who survived bullet wounds recounting his experience, saying, “I thought I was dead, having been shot by them.
“They faced our vehicle shooting at us, we all lay down except the driver who was the target. They thought we were all dead and retreated into the bush.
“The joint patrol team of police officers from Ogun and Oyo states arrived at the scene later.”
Meanwhile, a civil society organization, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace & Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has called out Governors of the South West states over incessant attacks by criminals in recent time around the geo-political zone.
ADAPHAI opined that the level at which gunmen were attacking innocent citizens in the zone without corresponding action from the State Governors to address the issue headlong was worrisome and scary.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the organization, Comrade Sulaimon Suberu and made available to The Point in Osogbo on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the sensitive and strategic nature of the South West makes the geo-political zone vulnerable, hence, the need for responsible and responsive leadership to protect the area from marauders.
