Drunk Lagos driver kills Army officer, 18 others lose arms, legs

A yet-to-be-identified driver has killed an army officer after ramming into military personnel on their bi-annual route march, near the Myhoung Barracks in Yaba, Lagos State.

According to eyewitnesses, the vehicle struck the female officer, causing her to somersault, while other soldiers and some residents heading out sustained varying degrees of injury.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the driver appeared drunk when the vehicle collided with more than 100 soldiers and civilians who were passing at 7 a.m.

The Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Olabisi Ayeni, confirmed that the accident resulted in the death of a soldier, with others sustaining injuries.

He said the remains of the deceased had been deposited in a mortuary while the injured soldiers were receiving medical care at 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba, Lagos.

Our correspondent, who visited the accident scene, spoke to eyewitnesses who described the incident as harrowing, revealing that the deceased was a senior officer.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, a woman at the NAEME Officer’s Mess, Marda Barracks, who asked not to be identified said the victim was a lieutenant colonel, adding that several other soldiers were injured.

In the same barracks, a top officer who was a victim of the incident said he would have died.

He disclosed that he saw the car coming and jumped to the other side of the road.

“He could see us marching; he just acted like a suicide bomber. He was speeding,” the officer said.

At the Myhoung Barracks, a tricycle operator who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the car rammed into the soldier and hit her head on the ground.

He claimed that the soldiers severely beat the suspect before taking him to their hospital, while the person who was with him in the car was locked up in the guardroom.

The tricycle rider added that 18 soldiers broke their arms and legs and were taken to the army hospital.

“We were chased away. Had it been you came earlier, you wouldn’t see anybody here,” he said.

Another eyewitness opposite the barracks confirmed that one soldier died, while 18 others were injured.

She added that a Nescafé trader was among the people injured and his whereabouts was unknown.

A shoemaker beside the barracks stated that the soldiers were angry after the incident.

“The driver was beaten and they carried him away,” the shoemaker said.

Also speaking, a woman identified as Nimota, noted that the soldiers were marching when the car rammed into them and passersby.

However, the Army spokesperson, Ayeni, said he could not disclose the identity of the deceased officer when our correspondent contacted him.