Five family members of victims of the ill-fated truck that killed three people at Ojuelegba, Lagos, sometime last year, have filed a N10bn suit against the Federal and Lagos State governments.
The family in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos, also joined as defendants the Attorney General of Lagos State, Lagos State Public Works Corporation and Motor Vehicle Administration Agency.
Others are the Attorney General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Road Safety Commission and driver and owner of the truck alleged to have caused the fatal accident, Wasiu Adeleke and Kilani Ojo Adeyanju.
In an affidavit in support of the suit sworn to by a Lagos businessman, Mr. Umar Abdul Wahab, and filed by their lawyers, Mr. Norrison Quakers, SAN, and Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, respectively, the deponent urged the court to declare that the death of the deceased persons was tantamount to heinous infractions on right to life, personal and human dignity and family harmony guaranteed by sections 33 and 34 of the Constitution, as well as articles 4,5,16 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Right.
The deponent averred that on September 2, 2015, he received a call from a Yaba Mainland Hospital official, informing him of the accident and that he should come to Yaba Mainland mortuary to identity the corpses of Abubaker Sule, Umaru Sulaiman and Kamilu Umaru.
He stated that he went to the hospital with other four applicants in the suit, namely: Usman Sulaiman, Ismaila Maikankan, lbrahim Ibrahim and Umaru Sulaiman Umaru.
He further averred that he was in deep shock and pain when he saw the mangled and shattered bodies of the deceased persons, which were crushed beyond recognition by the trailer that fell on their vehicle.
He stated that he was informed by an eyewitness that at about noon, a diesel truck with registration number, Lagos: Epe 46 XK, driven by one Kilani Ojo Adeyanju, fell off the Ojuelegba Bridge onto two vehicles, one of which was the car in which the deceased persons were travelling.
Driver of the trailer was alleged to have been driving without valid driver’s licence, MOT certificate, a road worthiness certificate or a vehicle licence.
Owner of the trailer, Kilani Adeyanju, is currently facing criminal charges before a Lagos State magistrate’s court for permitting Adeleke to drive the truck without a valid driver’s licence and other valid particulars.
Also, Adeleke is facing criminal charges before the magistrate’s court for gross negligence and reckless driving, causing the deceased persons’ deaths.
As at the time of the accident the truck was carrying a 20-foot container loaded with cement and iron rod.
