Policeman, NSCDC officer crushed while rescuing accident victims

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The PPRO for Lagos State police command, Ngozi Braide.

A policeman and an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps lost their lives while attempting to rescue victims of a road accident in the Ikeja area of Lagos State on Saturday. According to police authorities, policemen attached to the State Traffic Division were alerted of a multiple accidents around Ikeja Along Bus Stop on the Agege Motor Road and had rushed to the scene around 7am.

 Continue after the break.

On getting to the scene, the police team noticed the corpses of two pedestrians at the centre of the expressway.  A few metres away, there was also an accident involving a truck and two commercial buses.

Our correspondent learnt that the police team, in company with a civil defence officer, were able to rescue all the passengers in the commercial buses after which they were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

It was learnt that a few minutes after rescuing the victims, the policemen and the NSCDC officer were hit by a reckless driver in a Sports Utility Vehicle while they were attempting to recover the corpses of the pedestrians.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the incident occurred a few minutes before the compulsory monthly sanitation exercise. She said, “Around 7am, state traffic policemen were alerted of multiple accidents around IkejaAlong Bus Stop. On getting there, the policemen observed the crushed corpses of two pedestrians at the centre of the expressway.

“A few metres away, there was another accident involving two commercial buses and a truck. The policemen were able to rescue the victims in the buses and conveyed them unto an ambulance. The policemen stood nearby by the BRT Bus Stop to get a vehicle into which they could put the corpses.

“However, some minutes later, a white jeep parked at the centre of the road for unknown reasons. Another vehicle, which was coming behind with high speed, did not notice the vehicle on time and attempted to avoid hitting the white jeep.

“However, the driver swerved to where the policemen were and knocked them down. One policeman died on the spot as well as the civil defence man. Another policeman was also injured but survived. Meanwhile, the driver has been arrested and investigations are ongoing.”

Braide warned motorists to be safety conscious especially during the ember months and also obey the movement restriction on environmental sanitation days.