What happened
On December 7, 2021, a white delivery truck was reported to have hit school students along the Ojodu Berger axis of Lagos state, allegedly killing over a dozen students and leaving several others injured.
How it happened
The cause of the accident is still being debated. However, several eyewitness reports and a tweet from news coverage and intelligence provider, Eons Intelligence, reveal that the vehicle’s driver lost control of the wheels while being pursued by officers of the Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) around Isheri Road, just before the Ojodu Police Station.
The children — all students of Ojodu Grammar School — were reportedly killed by the truck as they made their way home from school after closing hours, at about 3 p.m.
Despite attempts to flee the scene, the truck’s driver was reportedly chased to the Ogba area where he was apprehended and handed over to the police.
Students protest killings
Following the tragic killings, students and residents of the area reportedly took to the streets of Ojodu Berger in protest. Causing a gridlock, the upset crowd proceeded to vandalise and burn trucks and other vehicles belonging to the VIO office in the area.
Arrival of the police and sporadic shootings
Officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) were eventually dispersed to the scene. After firing canisters of teargas to disperse protesters, police officers were caught on camera shooting repeatedly into a school compound after forcing their way in.
At the moment, it is unclear how many students were killed or how many are currently receiving treatment. While representatives of the Lagos state government and the agencies involved are yet to offer statements regarding the events, residents and commuters around the Ojodu Berger axis continue to report cases of chaos and traffic jams.
We’ll update this article as more information becomes public.
